It’s a common saying which was first said by Prof.Mulunbu that Africa will never be developed or liberated not until Nigeria takes it rightful place in the world. Nigeria is not only known as the most populous black Nation on the surface of the earth but also powerful one or should I simply put, one with the potential, a great and immeasurable potential to becoming one of the most powerful nation on the surface of the earth. This is because far above the numerical strength that comes with the reality of the nation, it also posses numerous natural and mineral resources that if properly utilized and harnessed will see the nation take a giant leap from being regarded as just a developing country to a fully developed and matured country with a vibrant Economy.
Adding to this, the nation also posses one of the greatest resources which if properly channeled and harnessed will see to the rise of a new dawn in the nation, the immense and great manpower possessed by the country in no small way will prove as a game changer for the nation.
In the light of the aforementioned, it’s no gainsaying to posit that Nigeria will never attain its true potential if the Youthful Populace of the nation fails to take their place in the history and development of the nation.
I grew up with the echoes of the popular saying that, the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. Years past , I grew from the ranks of being called a child to the realms of the highly and eagerly anticipated of the youthful ones and its beats me to my bones that same names, same figures that had steered the affairs of the nation while I rocked in shorts the small space of playground flying kites made by my father are still the ones steering the affairs of the nation.
Every four years before I attained the legal age that gives me the right to vote, I watch the elderlies with their voters card troupe to the polling booths to thumb their choice for the next four years and every time it is always a similar face that emerges winners of these various Electoral exercise.
Adding salt to the injury, the much glorified National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS) is filled with men who by every sense of objective categorization should not be called a youth.
With recycled leadership, we watch the lot of the nation fall drastically right before our eyes, in endless hopes of redemption we watch our numerous pressure group use the platform to launch their political careers as we have seen many of the leaders that rocked the body come in the cloak of true comrades and progressives leading the nation demanding for reforms and people’s welfare; when we thought we have a leader in them, they violate this trust by joining the leagues of those they once fought against, becoming a foe in the process.
While we have many people to point accusing fingers to, while we have many people to blame for the woes suffered by the entire Nigerian Populace, there’s a category of people who we must make live up to the failures and inadequacies of this nation to truly progress. This is none other but our parents, the old generation of Nigeria who have allowed the cores of resilience, the sense of endurance and an adapting spirit made them live and embrace the various ills and inadequacies of the nation Nigeria and the inability of the nation’s leadership to rightfully steer the affairs of the nation.
We watch them make attempt to resist various anti masses government polices however they have failed at every point to see that there agitations are given the right push and right voice that will see to it that the nation is liberated.
While it will be extreme to say that their generation has failed us by been too protective and too reserve, we do have a point to say that they could have done better, better than they have ever done.
We have people who witnessed times when the going was good who are still alive till now, we must ask them as the custodian of our National heritage what went wrong alibi the line, we must ask them reasons why the people were silent when they say the ship moving out of its route steering for doom.
Right before their eyes, the nation Nigeria left the rank of an exporting country to one which majorly depends on import goods to survive while it has the right ingredients that are raw materials to becoming a highly industrial society.
Right before their eyes, the leadership of the nation gave credence and redefinition of the country national seat of power as the place where the national cake is being shared leaving the masses with crumbs to be fought for and shared.
While we have many grievances against their silence and their tendencies to always adapt against every single reforms and policies given out by the government which are nothing but last straw that breaks the Carmel back, we must take a cheeky glare away from them as they have done their bit which many will agree that it’s not enough to the present crops of youths in the Nigerian reality who are gradually waking up to their potentials.
We must give credence and validity to a young generation that has failed to normalize poverty, one that has failed to accept the confines of orientation that to be moral is to be poor, to be morally conscious is to accept every polices of the government either good or bad. We must encourage a generation that has not allowed itself to be tied down by the factors that tied the previous generation from fighting for the future of the nation.
While we celebrate the rising voice of the youths who have taken to the street defying the status quo to seeking for a better living for itself ,we must come to realize one basic truth with the Nigerian leadership that if we do not demand for it, nothing good will ever come to the masses from our government.
The nation is rocked with bad health care, dwindling Economy, educational institutions going down the slippery slope, the value of life no more among many other ills, the rich which is highly dominated by the political class keeps getting richer, the poor keeps getting poorer. We must come to realize that we have many things to fight for that we might live for, history has never presented us with a better time to correct our mistakes by joining hands together with this generation, merging our voices peacefully and constructively as we demand for a better reality.
This generation has shown that it is a wrong generation to mess with by making the world realize that they are not just like any other previous generation, they are one that can move mountains when their voices and hands are joined in Unity.
Marcus Amudipe