BETTING, SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE FUTURE OF YOUTHS.

By Adelowo OGUNTOLA

"Every generation must, out of relative obscurity, discovers its mission, fulfill or destroy it"- Frantz Fanon.

Before I start this piece, kindly read the transcript of the phone conversation that occurred between one of my dear friend and I some few days ago. After then, fasten your seatbelt and follow me on this intellectual discourse.

MY FRIEND: Hello Lowo. How are you doing? It has been a while that I've heard from you. Abeg I'm sorry that I've not called your telephone line all these days.

ME: Woo... Mabinu si emi naa. Bawo ni IT?

MY FRIEND: IT is good oh. But there's not been money to sustain me. As we are talking now, I'm on my way to Football Betting shop in a bid to survive myself in this cash crunch. My mummy saw me and I lied that I want to buy Recharge Card.

ME: Young man, that's a criminal offence under the law. I will file a legal suit against you in the court of law. *LOL!!! Why should you lie?

MY FRIEND: Don't mind me. Football betting is now the latest money-spinning venture. You can amass wealth quickly without stress. Yesterday, I staked with #100.00 but one game spoiled my ticket. Since I have been playing, I have not win any game but I know my luck will come soon. Just be praying for me.

ME: Ore, I wish you the very Best of your heart desires in your new venture. Remember you are not on the right course. You will soon call me back that you have not win any game.

**** CONVERSATION STOPPED***

The sincere truth is that everybody have seen gambling (or betting) as the last resort to financial freedom. The young and old constantly and daily troop into the Betting shop to stake with their hard-earned money that should have been appropriated rightly. It is disheartening and despicable to see how youths play virtual (subset of gambling) with them not really playing. The common street urchins nowadays are "Aja 1", " Aja 2" and the likes.

We have to wake up from our slumber as the clock is ticking to reposition our society and reinvigorate our norms and societal values. While I was discussing with some intellectual minds few weeks ago, I posited that the Chief Executive/ Owner of NairaBet, Akin Alabi once sold Chicken during festive periods on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway via hustling. He is now living an ostentatious lifestyle with the money that youths labored for to get. What a pity! The rate at which our youths sleep on the social media nowadays is alarming, with the usual trading words mechanism.

Remember Mark Zuckerberg is now one of the most powerful homo sapien. He was not a graduate. Yet, he is the Co-Founder/ CEO of Facebook and Facebook Messenger with more than 1.65 billion presence and 900 million presence respectively. He recently acquired WhatsApp (the social network consists of more than 1 billon users and has relegated the SMS). Instagram is one of his assets with more than 400 million users across the globe. He worths $51.8 billion (as at May, 2016). This is a clear pointer that 32-year old American controls the cyberspace and New Media. Imagine how world will be like without the aforementioned social networks. Imagine how you will be disturbed if you can't access the quartet in a day.

Our neighbor, Seun Osewa of Nairaland controls a vast populace of Nigerians via his public forum. The followership base of the platform is more than 1.5 million. Try and look at our not-yet-married sister, Linda Ikeji. She is one of the most revered young person in the country today. That's why she can afford a palatial residence that worth more than half a billion at Banana Island.

Oluwaseun Onigbinde, the Founder of BudgIT saw the need for the government at all levels to be transparent and faithful in all their dealings with the masses. He is now driving the technological hub of the North of Limpopo and South of Sahara, Nigeria. Now, he is one of the ICT Manager of Chelsea FC.

We must see the big picture. Think of what your immediate surrounding urgently need. Use the New Media to uplift and promote your image, brand and not to dent and tarnish your reputation. Time and tide waits for no man. Don't sit on the unemployment bomb. Invent your FUTURE.

Because of gambling my brother spent 8 year in uniport without getting any certificate

Gambling should be banned because of the level of frustration afflicted to the innocent ones that are been initiated to the cult called betting