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Am Still Young O!!! Really? by Brytawon(m): 10:21am On Jan 27, 2016 |
Where and when did we exactly get it wrong? This question has become some sort of cliché of lamentation when considering many areas of failures in Nigeria. Interestingly, this question presupposed a time when we got it right. This question pops up again in my mind after my chat with a 300 level Nigerian undergraduate. In this instance, the cliché borders on the sense of responsibility vis-a-vis the age of responsibility and its spiritual and social consequences. I inquired of a 300 level student what her plans were after graduation and Youth service and her answer was typical of some Nigerian students, which was “Ah plans ke? Am still young o.” She was twenty/nineteen years old. She was right, she was young but was she that young as to not have a good plan about the next three years of her life? It got me thinking again, at what age do we accept responsibility in Nigeria? No doubt, there is relativeness of age, by that I mean, there are circumstances when a 70 year old will be considered young and 40 year old will be considered too old. This age relativity is everywhere. Marco Rubio, a senator of the republican party of the United States of America and an aspirant for the presidential ticket is by my judgement the most brilliant of the republican candidates. But the rumor on the street is that he is too young to become a president, he may be a vice – president and learn the ropes. He is 44 years old. The feeling is that, the country is not ready for another Obama-like age group as a president. However, he has taken up the responsibility of marriage since 1998, when he was age, 27 and was a member of house of representative since 2,000, when he was age 29/30. Martin Luther king Jr, was assassinated at the age of 39, he had led the Montgomery bus boycott at the age of 26, (1955), he delivered his “I have a dream” speech at the age of 34. 1963, he was at that age a force in the large American society. Martin Luther was already a father of four children before his death. There are millions of Marco Rubio and Martin Luther around the world, who have set their priorities early in life and took up responsibilities with both hands. If the above stories are far from us, let us come home to the story of the recently enthroned Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Adewusi, on whose hands and custody rest the tradition of a whole race, the Yoruba race. He was forty years old. He couldn’t have been Ooni only because he was a successful business magnate. In addition, he had responsibility of a family which he had early enough and even earlier than socially accepted, by that, he trained himself to be responsible, to lead and to be taken seriously as someone ready to engage the world. My intention is not to fill up this piece with lots of young financially successful men and women but rather to begin to deconstruct this popular fallacious idea among Nigerian young adult, “Am still young” and begin to create a sense of urgency that “tempus fugit”. Many of our parents who may not have been popular like the Ooni of ife, Martin Luther king and Marco Rubio had the same sense of urgency like these men. At the age of 25/26/27, they were students (studying abroad or University of Ibadan), workers (even menial jobs on the streets of London) husbands or wives, and were even paying their parents bills back at home. It is so disturbing these days when you meet young men in their thirties, some of whom lack creativity, waiting for government job vacancies and had no plans about raising families. This is not because they hope to be celibate but because they believe they are still young. Whereas in other climes, at age of 18 or 21, you are considered old enough to be responsible for yourself. And if I am right, Nigeria recognizes 18 years as the voting age and 21 years as the University graduation age. This is the logic, our parents were not self - sufficient before they entered into marriage in their mid-twenties and late twenties. However, they knew rightly that with their little income with which they paid their school fees, feed themselves, care for their child, and send little to their parents, that marriage straightens you up, put some challenges on your plate and makes you grow faster. As such, if God blesses one’s plans and efforts, and one is done with the hard work of raising children early enough, one can sit back and be relaxed during their retirement. The point is that they (our parents) had plans, that was why some of them that entered into politics and the military were ready to lead in their early thirties and mid- thirties. The consequence of lack of early involvement in responsibility is obvious in our politics and governance. There were not many in the likes of Dimeji Bankole who was a speaker in his thirties. Rather we had leaders who were in their sixties and seventies. As such a Man in his late twenties in a political office other than a personal assistant will be strange. This in return has created an atmosphere where men in their thirties are still considered ‘boys’ or youths, whereas in other climes, they are called young adults. This problem is also reflected in Church’s age categorization, where a youth president is a man in his late thirties and an ordained priest in his thirties is considered too young to lead a parish. So when will these people grow? The irony here is that, mid- age in Nigeria should have shifted from 40/50 to 25 because life expectancy has shortened to 49. A twenty five year old man or woman in our clime because of our health infrastructural problems should be considered mid- age and matured. Statistics have shown that many young Nigerian men in their mid- thirties will likely use their retirement benefits to raise their last child. A man that marries at the age of 35 years, with plan for three children (if God permits) and a two year space period will likely have his last child when he turns 39/40. Many children finish university education at the age of 21, if he/she gains admission at 17. At this point the father is 60/61. If he is a government employee, he should be retired. What this means is that any prolonged schooling or delayed admission for the last child can put the innocent child at risk of some financial stress. This scenario can be worse financially, if schooling is two or more years delayed. Moreover, mentally and biologically, parenting becomes more difficult at a certain age. This is obvious at times in the children raised by grand-parents, because mental alertness is reduced, compact parenting is challenged and children are raised “spoilt.” Eli was a holy man but his sons were scoundrels. His rebuke about their Promiscuities were futile because he was too old. (cf. 1 Sam, 2:22). Raising a family for those that will choose such life is never about self –sufficiency; nothing like that exists. It is about getting serious with life early enough with sense of urgency because time flies! Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth planning for. Many lay the blame of their irresponsibility on the inability of government to provide Jobs, these are people still going through dependent- syndrome. Even a blind man can see that the country is messed up. Government job opportunities are non- existent as at now but, it is also said, scarcity is the mother of invention. This “am still young” syndrome, has translated into having too many ‘babies” in their late twenties, late thirties among Nigerian men and women who are therefore not trained and prepared for responsibility and leadership on a big stage. To avoid the repeated problems of accidental leaders in our country and delayed leadership by the young adult, we need men and women who set out early enough and plan to take up responsibility. Those who are responsible for and with their own lives, thus train themselves to take up responsibility in the larger community. Aristole said “Men who will lead the people should first lead themselves.” If Gen. Yakubu Gowon was 32 when he became Head of States, Chief Awolowo became premier at 43, Chief Anthony Enahoro moved a motion for Nigeria independence in 1953 at 30 years old, then you can do the same. Many notable world leaders made innovative discoveries around this age. Infact, David was 30 years when he became a king, (2 Sam, 5:4). Jesus Christ started his mission at the age of 30 years. (Lk 3:23). The bible says … Lacks experience of the word of righteousness for he is a child, but solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil’ (Heb. 5:13-14). So what are you waiting for? Grow up brother/sister!!! https://mobile.facebook.com/AreopagusInclination/photos/a.1550597351898714.1073741828.1543447419280374/1569741823317600/?type=3&refid=7&_ft_=qid.6244392140728241919%3Amf_story_key.1692814142963320185%3Aei.6244392140397273172.6050619776539.19.0&__tn__=E |
Re: Am Still Young O!!! Really? by oluwafreshkid(m): 10:48am On Jan 27, 2016 |
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