THE EMPOWERED NIGERIAN YOUTH
“Bestowed with enablement” if that adequately define our topic of discussion, and I want to believe it does. Yet, it would be fair to the reader if we remind ourselves that “power is the ability to do work. It therefore follows that being empowered implies that one is charged to capacity to achieve a given purpose or goal. Hoping our premises are in place, we can boldly say, that empowerment, could be both advantageous and destructive, subject to two conditions. First, the empowered individual, and secondly the extent to which he is empowered.
The weapon, with which the military of nation is equipped for the safety of her territory and citizens, could be used to wreck chaos by the militant in the same nation. Same tool, directly opposite results. The difference is thus in the contrast of individuals and the conflict of interest. I read a quote with which am in consonance, it states “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” Before giving any man the ability to do something, you want to ascertain his individuality, which is embedded in his thought and revealed in his words. They say “ give a man power and discover who he truly is” well I beg to differ on that, because at the time of discovery, the damage done may have reach “irreversible” so I say “don’t give a man power till you can verge for who he is” You don’t want to regret your benevolence.
“Power corrupt, absolute power corrupt absolutely” Many innocent individuals have been transformed into monsters in the name of empowerment. A wise man once gave an illustration of how gradual an individual must ascend to power, be it financial, political spiritual or social. We should have respect for little beginning. He concluded from his illustration that “one must be judge fit for certain magnitude of power, before it is entrusted to them” We have a clear example today of the president of Nigeria, who finding an easy way to the most powerful sit of the nation, has only a truck load of regret, to show for it at the time of descent. The extent of empowerment, should be proportional to the level of experience the individual has gain, and not a function of cultural, ethnical, geopolitical, tribal or what have you background. And the yardstick for further ascent should be the results of excellence he has to show for the previous opportunity given to him. At least promotion form one grade to another in an academic setting is strictly by merit and so it should hold for all works of life.
As I attempt to conclude, empowering the in Nigeria should take a new shape, with the wind of change that is blowing. I recently saw a headline, requesting amnesty for Bokoharam members. I immediately picture Shekau, as the spoke person for the Federal Government. That picture almost cooked my brain. Please let government programmes aimed at empowering the youth challenge them to excellence and not to inspire them onto violence. It should urge them onto professionalism and productivity. There should be stiff penalty for restiveness, and enough with the patting on the back for people who have afflicted the nation and have now rose to enviable financial status, with which they now influence others unto emulating their evil paths.
We can empower the youth academically, by reaching out to the many Nigerian student struggling financially to stay in school, financially, by equipping them to provide goods and services, which will both profit them and the nation’s economy. We can also empower them politically by creating political offices that are exclusively for the youths and most especially by disabusing their minds of religious, cultural, geo-political, ethnical, and other ideology that is polarising the nation and causing unrest. In so doing, we will be truly empowering the Nigerian youth.

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That feels real good