11/08/2021
*YOUTH MARGINALISATION: Breeding a wild cat*
It is quite sympathetic that Nigerian youths had been given a bad name and yet they see nothing bad in the bad name- Lazy youths. Systematically, government has no foreseeable plan for them because they can no longer be seen as future leaders.Invariably, assumption accounts for the reason why there are no vacacies in the Federal & State Civil service commissions and even Local Government Service commission. Needless to point out that "recycling of old war horses" is the order of the day in Nigeria. Government appoints senior citizens in positions of authority and replace them like for like when the need arises.Young politicians do not stand any chance at all, no matter the party, to win any political contest with their " experienced fathers". What then is the fate our our teeming youths? What does the future hold for them and the country in the nearest future? Who is going to bell the cat???
For God's sake, we cannot continue to do same thing and expect a different result. That will be the height of insanity.
Youths had been rendered redundant by their parents ( who thinks for them), by the government who doesn't believe in them and by the youths themselves just because the have lost self esteem and moral value to be productive via diligence. No matter who is grievously culpable in this anomaly, there's need for attitudinal change from all and sundry. The only creativity one can easily pick out without much hassle from our youths is craftiness in cheating. Perhaps, this is responsible for granting our youths an outlet to plunder anything plunderable in terms of " false representation, forgery, OBT, thuggery, prostitution, kidnappings, robbery and sundry vices aimed at making ends meet. The most appalling of them all is the "get quick at all cost syndrome" leading to fortification and money ritualism.
Be that as it may, all hope is not lost because some of the youths had proven that given the right environment, they can be successful without blemishes. It must be told that it is not enough to acquire certificates up to PhD but the application of such knowledge in solving problems and helping humanity is all that matters in making a difference. Qualifications are written on mere pieces of paper but the real education is in the knowledge stored in your sound mind.
Success is attainable when a prepared mind meets an opportunity. Therefore, until you discover who you really are, you can hardly make any impact.
Artisanship is gradually being eroded in our psyche. There's mad rush to acquire all the certificates in the world without actually putting any of them to use. Yet, government is not prepared to offer employment to the prospective and deserving applicants who wait endlessly for a non existence job in the service.Gone are the days when collar job seems attractive because you can NEVER be a Millionaire in the civil service except you helped yourself with fraudulent manouvres ( pen robbery).
The way out of this brouhaha is going the way of ENTREPRENEURSHIP. Unfortunately, our clime does not support any personal or individualistic concept of making genuine money via hard work. Hence, in spite of this daunting challenge, the youths should think outside the box. Problems abound every where humans converge. Your ability to recognize these problems and finding suitable solutions to them will create streams of income that will be sustainable in the long run. For instance, a graduate that studied educational course in the university can not continue to look for job. He/ she can organize private home lessons for selected targets ( interested participants) in their vicinity or group less one which when resources are pulled together will be greater than his/her expected salary if employed by government. If the business progresses, he/ she can engage the services of his/ her co- travelers and they will all smile to the bank.Thank God, pensionable jobs are gradually going into oblivion. Contributory pension scheme depends solely on what you can save as an employee while your employer complements it.
The difference between the rich and the poor is that the poor looks for work while the rich builds network.
I am of the opinion that the youths can change the narrative if they can see beyond their noses. Stop looking for work because it is not available. Instead, look for problems and proffer solutions at some cost. Then, watch how money will make a home in your pocket.
Parents should stop paying over the odds to aid their wards and children pass and acquire certificates that are not useful to them or the society. Let these children determine their future by following their passion provided it is a worthwhile venture.
Government should not have written off the youths without giving them any chance at all. The number of graduates being churned out from institutions of higher learning is quite alarming when you consider that unemployment rate in Nigeria is even reaching triple figures.
Why would grand fathers who can hardly operate an android phone in 21st century, much less booth a computer, be preferred to information, sports and communication ministers / commissioners????
Rome was not built in a day. If the younger ones are not shown the system of governance now, what becomes of the government when these elders are called to glory??? Without any legacy passed down to the youths, what criteria would we use to measure their competence, relevance and sense of responsibility???
The truth must be told " Enough is enough". Service years of academic gurus, teachers and some other profession had been increased to 65 years, to whose detriment??? The youths are perpetually being denied of rare opportunity to be engaged or even rise. The Ogas continue to be Ogas until they join their ancestors while the vigor and vitality of youthfulness continue to waste. We should remember that he who breeds a wild cat must not complain when his chicken start missing. This is where we have found ourselves in Nigeria today. Where on planet earth that one uses a hyena to transport meat? Perhaps, Only in Nigeria. God help us!
- Ele A. C. ( Public Affairs commentator)
