...Kindly tell the Government I Need a Job

OPEN LETTER TO THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT

Dear Nigerian Government,

I don’t think I would be wrong if I speak for the rest of the Nigerian Youths to say that you have left us highly frustrated and confused. We pride our Nation as the giant of Africa yet the unemployment rate in the country is on the increase and sadly to say that Nigeria has one of the highest levels of youth unemployment in the world.

In case we aren’t too conversant with the statistic let me remind us that according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from 7.51 MILLION in the beginning of October 2015 to 11.19 MILLION at the end of September 2016, while the general unemployed population rose from 55.21 MILLION in the beginning of the fourth quarter to 69.47 MILLION as of the end of September, this to say that about 70 MILLION youths are unemployed.

We built castles in the air with an unimaginable monthly N5, 000 you promised us in your superfluous manifestos. If I may ask, what happens to the Industrial Training fee we are ought to be receiving? The funds have been diverted to only God knows where. One thing which baffles me is why we have failed to speak up about this Industrial Training fee.

Due to the current hardship many of us have ventured in to shady businesses in quest for survival. The Keke (Tricycle) driving is one business we thought would have been the best but it’s more traumatizing than we thought because we have to share our profit with the Agberos (street urchins); each day they collect about 40% of our income as though they bought the tricycle for us.

To keep hopes alive, with the little income we earn we proceed for our Masters Degree hoping things will get better but are we any different from a Bachelor degree holder or have we forgotten in a hurry how 6 Ph.D, 704 Masters and over 8,460 Bachelor degree holders struggled for a Graduate Executive Truck Driver job in Dangote Group?

We seek for jobs and they tell us you must be below 26 years of age with at least 3 years’ experience. I keep wondering where on planet earth do they want to get these Nigerian Youths from.

It’s usually a tug of war before gaining admission into the University and when we finally get it, we spend over 6 years in the University for a 4 -year Course due to the incessant Strike actions then we graduate and they tell us we have to be below 26 years of age with at least 3 years’ experience. Haba!

After treating the youths in such a ruthless manner how won’t there be a rapid increase in armed robbery, cybercrime, kidnapping, prostitution, human trafficking, smuggling and many other negative social vices. With all these negativities we will still have the guts to pride the Nation as the giant of Africa. I can’t even remember the last time someone regarded Nigeria as the Giant of Africa. What a Shame!

Our youths who are ripe for Marriage cannot settle down due to the harsh economic situation, the men keep telling their wives-to-be tales by moonlight.

You tell us create jobs for yourselves, little did we know that you are no longer NEPA but a corporation that withholds POWER (PHCN) and fail to give it out thereby making us spend all our profit on petrochemicals. How are we then meant to survive?

Well, we asked for change, now we have it. Though this wasn’t the change you promised us or was it? You have failed us too many times yet remain unapologetic instead you belch orders and make extraneous hopes to us.

Recently you said we shouldn’t produce musical videos outside the country else we will be prosecuted. Fine, patronizing MADE IN NIGERIA is good but you make these LAWS and break them. It’s best we practice what we preach.

Everyone is wondering why SEX is so overrated; if there are jobs and the minds are occupied with positive things who will think of weather for two when it rains or talk nastily about SEX every now and then. What most graduates’ do every morning is to wash their Father’s cars then retire to bed. Joblessness has gotten so many girls pregnant in the last two years and we say all is well?

Nigerian youths are frustrated so much that many believe a drop out is better off than a graduate, argue with a frustrated Nigerian Graduate and he will tell you to forget that degree it doesn’t pay then he will further present a comprehensive list of millionaires and billionaires who are drop outs and those who never attended a tertiary institution.

We clamour Our Mumu don Do, OUR MUMU DON DO, am just so grieved that each time you play Politricks on us we fall for those tricks and we bear the brunt of our stupidity. I hope we become wise one day to have minds of our own.

I’m sick and tired of thinking because each time I think it doesn’t get any better, all I need right now is a JOB. Offer me a job, I need to get busy.

Yours Faithfully,
Frustrated Nigerian Youth.

Written by: Modest Diko

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