|
Nigeria Youths and the Crisis of Self Discovery
By
Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega
belloskic@yahoo.com
The role
of youths in the development of nations can not be romanticized from
the facts that youths are often regarded as leaders of tomorrow. So,
with these historical challenges, their state of minds is of major
concern to any nation. This state of mind is what is needed to propel
them, into action, towards creative thinking and innovation, to
challenge the course of historical hopelessness and underdevelopment
of their nation.
There is
a direct relationship between youths and morals. Sound morals youths,
create and facilitate transformation in their society. Societies that
are not armed with sound morals are not, rule by good leaders and
don’t deserve life of existence. Moral uprightness, in any society, is
sacrosanct to the development of the next leaders that will be saddle
with leadership responsibilities of their country come tomorrow. The
youths represent the most active and venerable groups, that, are often
prompted for social mischief once adequate guidelines are not set up
and enforce by the society.
Over the
years, these vulnerable groups (youths), have often been found to
constitute themselves into social nuisance; thus contributing to the
general hopelessness the Nigerian nation has found itself. Instead of
youths to be the watchdog of the social ills that were daily falling
from their elders’ tables, with the view of changing them, Alas! The
youths have joined their elders in furthering the destruction of their
society, without pity. Today, the Nigeria youths are armed with
characters that are antithesis to its progress. Such antitheses
includes false dreams of getting money quick without any difficulties,
ostentations and flamboyant life style, disco dancing, drunkenness,
armed robbery, thuggery, cultism, prostitution, and exams malpractice.
These antitheses are inimical to the development of the nation.
Today,
our tertiary institutions are populated by young men and women who are
students by accident, without the mindsets to pursuit intellectualism
and academic excellence; but, with the mindsets of pursuing
frivolities that have no direct bearing on the development of their
nation. In this institution today, nothing seems to be happening,
except half naked and half crazy disco dancing and European football
rebranded youngsters as students. These youngsters (students) are not
even moved by the general crises of nation building that have befallen
their country. They remained unmoved by what is happening around them;
because, they have developed the mindset of waiting patiently for
their turn to revisit the nation with their own methods of
ostentations, and exploitation, which further the general hopelessness
the Nigeria nation has become as result of action and inaction of
their poisonous elder.
The role
of youths in championing societal re-generation is legendary over the
years. Most nations that have achieved development were purely, the by
product of sound and actives youths, who serves as the engine that
propelled such societies into development. Revolutions and counter
revolutions have occurred, leading to changed in the status quo of
corruption, oppression, exploitation and underdevelopment. But, one
thing that is legendary about all these revolutions is the active role
the youths played in mobilizing, exercising, conscientising and
sacrificing their lives, money and time for the future of their
country.
However,
most revolutionary leaders that led most of those revolutions can be
regarded within the age limit of youthfulness; Fidel Castro, Amilca
Cabral, Thomas Sankara, Chairman Mao Zedong, Lee Kuan Yew, etc
achieved their fame of transformational leadership in their prime
youthful age. One thing unique about them all, is their sincerity of
purpose and the passion to change their societal ills; which they
courageously pursuits by relying on their environments and social
values to achieved development.
The
question we may post and ask is; why is it that, Nigeria with all its
vast potentials have failed to achieve development? The answers could
be far fetching, from the facts that, the failure of Nigeria is partly
predicated on the failure of sound and conscious youths, who should
have been alive to their responsibility, of been the watchdog of their
society against the ill-informed leaders and elders who are daily
destroying the fabrics of the Nigerian society. The failure of the
youths to live up to their responsibilities seriously fractured and
fragmented the country into a web of despairs and frustration. Today,
these youngster failed to realized that, the future of this country
(Nigeria) lies in their feet, while they seat and watched their
destinies been mortgaged by this expired generation. It is important
to redirect our effort towards activities that make our society work.
Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega
National Secretary
Progressive Youths Association for a
Better society
based in Abuja
belloskic@yahoo.com
|