While we have been busy talking about Nigeria of today, I wonder if we have spared a thought about how this country will be in the next TWENTY-FIVE years.
\nOn October 1, 1979, when Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari was sworn-in as president, Goodluck Jonathan was just a 22 year-old undergrad of University of Port-Harcourt.
\nShagari was 54 years old. Ayo Fayose was 19 years old. Bukola Saraki was 17. Yemi Osibajo was 22.
\nThe generation of the likes of Shagari, Richard Akinjide, Adisa Akinloye, Sabo Barkin Zuwo, Sam Mbakwe, Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, Ume Ezeoke, Christian Onoh, Akin Omoboriowo, Olusola Saraki, Sunday Awoniyi, Garba Nadama, Awal Ibrahim and so on has gone for good!
\nSome of us in our 40s, 50s and 60s now, were in school then, either in the university or secondary school.
\nWe had lofty dreams, both personal and societal. We were always motivated by nationalists and inventors who had impacted positively on the cause of humanity.
\nWe were voracious readers of novels and other books. Nelkon for our Ordinary Level Physics, Lambert for Chemistry, B.O ADELEKE and Goh Cheng Leong for our Geography, Phebean Ogundipe for Practical English, William Shakespeare Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, OLa Rotimi and Wole Soyinka for Literature and others like that.
\nWe were always flaunting our knowledge of current affairs. Inter-school quiz, Literary and Debating competition were the in-thing.
\nNowadays, students can hardly string a sentence together in English without errors.
\nFast forward 35 years on and you are shocked and disturbed.
\nHave you ever spoken to or engaged a 20 year-old boy?
\nAsk him what motivates him and he is likely to mention music, hip hop to be precise.
\nHe has hundreds of downloaded songs on his phone. He can sing all of them off hand.
\nHe knows all the singles of Nice, Neato C, Timaya, Davido, Whiz Kid off hand.
\nThe babes among them take pride in enticing men old enough to be their father on social media with buxomly physique.
\nBut he\/she does not know anything about history of nationalism in the country. Ideas about good society, responsible family and good conduct do not motivate him.
\nHe just wants to make money because his friend who does yahoo is rich and rides a good car, her friend who has numerous \u2018aristos\u2019 drives an SUV!
\nThe things that interest him\/her are things that do not add value. He \/she has google but never uses it for advancement of knowledge but to download porn and other inanities.
\nYet, in TWENTY years time, they are the ones that will be contesting to become governors, senators, Reps members and even president.
\nThey belong to a generation that does not care about morality.
\nThey belong to a generation that is motivated only by money and its acquisition.
\nBy 2035 to 2040, they will be our senators, Reps, governors and so on.
\nI wonder if we have ever spared a thought for how this country will look like under them.
\nI told a man recently and these are my words:
\nIF A GUY WHO IS IN LAGOS COULD USE FALSE PRETENSE TO
\nOBTAIN $20,000 FROM SOMEONE IN UNITED STATES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IF SUCH A GUY BECOMES A STATE GOVERNOR AND IS IN CHARGE OF AN ALLOCATION HE DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO OBTAIN UNDER FALSE PRETENSE WHICH HIS STATE IS STATUTORILY ENTITLED TO.
\nHow did we get into this mess?
\nHow can we get out of this predicament?
\nI am worried, deeply worried.
\nAre you?
\nNote:
\nI do not know the Author of this write up, it was forwarded to me and it is worth reading and sharing.
\nPls, let us continue to share,it might change one or two people.
\n*Forward as received*
\nMy additional comments. The Nigerian youngsters who follow (MODERATELY) the entertainment culture BUT ALSO pursue (or are aware of) the evolving dynamics of the 4th Industrial Revolution and follow Nigerian and global current affairs – these few ones are not here in Nigeria; if they are, they`ll soon relocate overseas, thrive there, and (majority of them) will stay put.
\nConsequences? These “entertainment-only“ light-heads will go into politics with predictable and generally negative results – as the above post has indicated. Worse still, if\/when the broader-minded and tech smarter ones abroad decide to return home to help a rapidly decaying country, THEY WILL HAVE TO PLAY AND SINK IN THE ON-GROUND POLITICAL CONTEXT already created by those entertainment and yahoo maestros who have followed their godfathers into Nigerian politics.
\nAny visionary of their generation either WITHIN or coming from outside will have to operate within the MALIGN context set by the crooks and shady ones who control and set the pace and tone of party politics. Its happening EVEN NOW – arguably with less intensity. That or go back abroad for your safety and sanity. Or join them, which, unfortunately, some of the returnees will do!!
\nIf things continue on the current trajectory, you all can see where Nigeria is headed – and with a fast exploding population (especially in core north).
\nThose who CAN HELP this country don’t ever get public power; those who do get public power CAN`T OR WON`T help the country. 180 million citizens are caught in between this binary misfortune.
\nI really really hope NEW CONDITIONS will FORCE THEMSELVES on this country, which will in turn FORCE US to change course. Really.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While we have been busy talking about Nigeria of today, I wonder if we have spared a thought about how this country…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[739],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending-on-whatsapp"],"yoast_head":"\n