The Lazy Youth And Politics
In Nigeria today, it is difficult to see an average youth of 18 to 30 and 31-40 really doing well in his or her business or politics except few ones that were born with silver spoons or favoured by stint of hardwork and perseverance.
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 7th edition defines Youth as the time of life when a person is young, especially the time before a child becomes an adult or the quality or state of being young and Politics is the activities involved in getting and using power in public life, and being able to influence decisions that effect a country or a society: party politics and local politics. The lazy youth is simply defines as a young person that cannot think positively out of the idealistic box of life.
For a youth to make a living in this country, it does not mean you must posses all the educational qualifications but ability to think outside the box of reality. Those ruling Nigeria from the 60s and now never had the best education but decided to use their available opportunity to rise to political stardom.40 percent of Nigeria youths are well-educated but the polemical vision to work towards their set goals have been dashed out by theories of bad economy. The Nigerians that moved the motion of self-government in 1956 were all youths but today the reverse is the case. There are too many lazy youths waiting for political and economic opportunities before they can nurture their inbuilt talents for creative leadership.
How many youths in Nigeria are really successful in entrepreneurial leadership? Kudos to one 35 years old Abuja-based Ijaw(Kiama Local Government Area) multi-million entrepreneur and governorship candidate, Hon.Moses Siasia who is presently running for 2015 Bayelsa governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Movement(PDM) against the sitting Bayelsa State Governor Dickson Serieke.Moses Siasia was never born with silver spoon but fought tooth and tail to establish his empire of businesses across the country. He is the chairman of young professionals in Nigeria and has employed over 480 people in his own company. Again, Dr.Linus Okorie is one Abuja-based Imo state youth that determined to succeed in life.
He started his Guardians of the Nations International (GOTINI) vision in Lagos where I was a member then and he never saw today than tomorrow and took every available opportunity to rise to leadership stardom. He is one of the youthful leadership consultants sitting with players of the economy both abroad and Nigeria. If you go to our banking industry today, you see choke of youths as cash attendants and security officers or otherwise. Most of these youths have their Masters Degrees but cannot face the challenges of being an entrepreneur. It is not compulsory that everybody must work for itself but the facts remain that our youths are poorly thinking about their future.
Again, few years ago, Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s company advertised vacancies for truck drivers, to his bewilderment PhDs and Masters Degree holders applied massively for the post of truck drivers and he could not hide his entrepreneurial feelings by given out these trucks out to those that merited it. High Chief Michael Orobosa Ubogu, the Managing Director of Micura Services Limited became entrepreneurial millionaire at 34 which means he sets his goals ahead of future. At 45, Michael Ubogu is already employing over 4000 workers in his company.
Many Nigerian youths only attend motivational seminars and read foreign authors’ books without putting their rare gifts into practice. Everybody cannot work in Oil and Gas Company to make a success in life. With the present political leadership structure in Nigeria, the chances of an average youth in this country are limited. In Imo State recently, some youths were paid heavily to carry out a protest against the unpaid civil servants which invariably means many youths are yet to learn their lessons from these so-called voracious political leaders. The issue of youth copycat is more pronounced in this country where many youths cannot run with their passions any longer. Those who made it to the top in this world never had the best educational system but early discovered their core passions.
One militating factor is that our youths are easily given up their passions for one challenge or the other. There are many opportunities in Nigeria to make a living as youth but only few sit on these opportunities due to massive corruption in the system. Can we continue to blame the government all the time? A lazy youth will always see fault but a determined one will see opportunity to harness his or her potentialities. Many lazy youths in Nigeria wants to make it through the back doors without due process that is why crime rate is at geometrical progression in the country.
Hardwork pays as a youth, if we are ready to put all efforts in our passions. In Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is only giving political appointments to advanced politicians while youths are given mere special advisers which refer to as ‘messengers in government house’. That is, a youth cannot become a DESOPADEC chairman or commissioner in Delta State. The gab between adult and youth in Nigeria’s politics is far. It is only left for an average Nigerian youth to fight for his or her destiny. The rich entrepreneurs in Nigeria today are not in the ages of 30 to 40 but above.
Finally, if any Nigerian youth must succeed in life, he or she must be ready to think differently from established theories and practical of successful entrepreneurs and politicians in the country. In all, we must acknowledge God in all our daily endeavours as youths in Nigeria. The Dangotes,Adenugas,Eziegbos,Otedolas,Okoyas,Agathas,Ubogus,Immanuels,Okpowos,Umunnas,Egbodos,Odhomors, Utomis,Obasanjos and others never had two heads in life to make wealth. So let us take our future into our hands now.
Godday Odidi
Social Media Analyst/Mindset Media Limited
08058124798
Lagos