While we have been busy talking about Nigeria of today, I wonder if we have spared a thought about how this country will be in the next TWENTY-FIVE years.

On October 1, 1979, when Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari was sworn-in as president, Goodluck Jonathan was just a 22 year-old undergraduate of University of Port-Harcourt. Shagari was 54 years old. Ayo Fayose was 19 years old. Bukola Saraki was 17. Yemi Osinbajo was 22.

The generation of the likes of Shagari, Richard Akinjide, Adisa Akinloye, Sabo Barkin Zuwo, Sam Mbakwe, Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, Ume Ezeoke, Christian Onoh, Akin Omoboriowo, Olusola Saraki, Sunday Awoniyi, Garba Nadama, Awal Ibrahim and so on has gone for good!

Some of us in our 40s, 50s and 60s now, were in school then, either in the university or secondary school. We had lofty dreams, both personal and societal. We were always motivated by nationalists and inventors who had impacted positively on the cause of humanity.

We were voracious readers of novels and other books. Nelkon for our Ordinary Level Physics, Lambert for Chemistry, B.O ADELEKE and Goh Cheng Leong for our Geography, Phebean Ogundipe for Practical English, William Shakespeare, Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, OLa Rotimi and Wole Soyinka for Literature and also competing among ourselves who can read more novels like James Hardly Chase, Harry Porter, Sydney Sheldon and others like that to better our English vocabulary.
We were always flaunting our knowledge of current affairs. Inter-school quiz, Literary and Debating competition were the in-thing. Nowadays, students can hardly string a sentence together in English without errors.

Fast forward 35 years on and you are shocked and disturbed. Have you ever spoken to or engaged a 20 year-old boy?

Ask him what motivates him and he is likely to mention music, hip hop to be precise. He has hundreds of downloaded songs on his phone. He can sing all of them off hand. He knows all the singles of Nice, Neato C, Timaya, Davido, Whiz Kid off hand.

The babes among them take pride in enticing men old enough to be their father on social media with buxomly physique. But he/she does not know anything about history of nationalism in the country. Ideas about good society, responsible family and good conduct do not motivate him. He just wants to make money because his friend who does yahoo is rich and rides a good car, her friend who has numerous ‘aristos’ drives an SUV!

The things that interest him/her are things that do not add value. He /she has google but never uses it for advancement of knowledge but to download porn and other inanities. Yet, in TWENTY years time, they are the ones that will be contesting to become governors, senators, Reps members and even president.

They belong to a generation that does not care about morality. They belong to a generation that is motivated only by money and its acquisition. By 2035 to 2040, they will be our senators, Reps, governors and so on.

I wonder if we have ever spared a thought for how this country will look like under them. I told a man recently and these are my words:....
"IF A GUY WHO IS IN LAGOS COULD USE FALSE PRETENCE TO
OBTAIN $20,000 FROM SOMEONE IN UNITED STATES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IF SUCH A GUY BECOMES A STATE GOVERNOR AND IS IN CHARGE OF AN ALLOCATION HE DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO OBTAIN UNDER FALSE PRETENCE? WHICH HIS STATE IS STATUTORILY ENTITLED TO."

How did we get into this mess? How can we get out of this predicament? I am worried, deeply worried. Are you?

Comrd Bulus Jacob
2020/08

Source:
Honades Plus Services Library.

It all boils down to the foundation
EVERY developed country plans for her younger generation except countries that have become shitholes like Nigeria.
It's only common sense bro

The problem is the judiciary..they are too familiar with all these polithiefcians.

May God bless you sir.

There are some unwritten things you no longer discuss with new generation Nigerians. Things like ambition and history. Try it and get the shock of your life

Crime increase in Nigeria from it pressent levell is likely but Nigeria can't survive it.


We are being rejected from many countries of the world today do to I'll behaviour, what will happen after we might have increased the tempo as every move of ours pointed toward that direction now?

Well thought and said. Truth be said, it’s so disheartening what we now see as norms in our country. But sir, I’m not in anyway trying to rub your ink , but I want to say in my opinion that greater chunk of the blames of how our society has turned out today rests on the people of your age and the ones you mentioned sir. My point is, the ones you mentioned that met a sane environment created a toxic environment for this generation. They are the ones that would leave school even at Stan six and get a well paid job not to talk of Graduate without knowing anyone or having to bring letters or money for the job. But fast forward, they are the ones that will reserve posts in an organization for their children at the expense of available graduates, they are the ones identifying with musicians of vulgar lyrics for popularity and money laundering , they are the ones that will ask you to tip them to get employed or sleep with you to be employed. They are the ones enticing young girls with houses, cars and money to oppress the serious ones. They are the people sponsoring beauty pageants but forgot to sponsor anything academic or entrepreneurial. They are the ones dolling out cash to the bbnaija attendees while they keep giving motivational speeches to the serious ones. All these their deeds chased the myopic guys into internet frauds and some of them even identify with them also, they have made the youths borrowed the saying that “ you just need to know the way and not by study” . The present day Nigeria is the fruit of the seeds they planted and still planting. But I believe there is always hope because there are still reasonable youths though not given a chance due to the route these elders have created but I know and believe nature will bring them to power by then. #we can all make a change within our little capacity, do it right if you have the chance.

Otsam:
Well thought and said. Truth be said, it’s so disheartening what we now see as norms in our country. But sir, I’m not in anyway trying to rub your ink , but I want to say in my opinion that greater chunk of the blames of how our society has turned out today rests on the people of your age and the ones you mentioned sir. My point is, the ones you mentioned that met a sane environment created a toxic environment for this generation. They are the ones that would leave school even at Stan six and get a well paid job not to talk of Graduate without knowing anyone or having to bring letters or money for the job. But fast forward, they are the ones that will reserve posts in an organization for their children at the expense of available graduates, they are the ones identifying with musicians of vulgar lyrics for popularity and money laundering , they are the ones that will ask you to tip them to get employed or sleep with you to be employed. They are the ones enticing young girls with houses, cars and money to oppress the serious ones. They are the people sponsoring beauty pageants but forgot to sponsor anything academic or entrepreneurial. They are the ones dolling out cash to the bbnaija attendees while they keep giving motivational speeches to the serious ones. All these their deeds chased the myopic guys into internet frauds and some of them even identify with them also, they have made the youths borrowed the saying that “ you just need to know the way and not by study” . The present day Nigeria is the fruit of the seeds they planted and still planting. But I believe there is always hope because there are still reasonable youths though not given a chance due to the route these elders have created but I know and believe nature will bring them to power by then. #we can all make a change within our little capacity, do it right if you have the chance.

Do it right when you have the chance, good one! But not when our towns and villages keep rolling out drums to celebrates every newly rich guy in town with source or without.

People can't give what they don't have, our behaviour is ingrained in us, it is in the DNA of most of us as they're still few good ones around.

donbachi:
The problem is the judiciary..they are too familiar with all these polithiefcians.

The judiciary itself is being manned by Nigerians with same mentality of how to make fortune of every opportunity.

May God bless you mister.

hisgrace090:




Do it right when you have the chance, good one! But not when our towns and villages keep rolling out drums to celebrates every newly rich guy in town with source or without.

People can't give what they don't have, our behaviour is ingrained in us, it is in the DNA of most of us as they're still few good ones around.

Exactly, that’s why I said the one within your capacity, nature has a way of paying back.

We are shaped by the decisions and choices we made in life. condemning this present generations for all the vices in the society is not entirely their faults, you made the foundations so rusty, you made the society unlawful, every thing we are experiencing today was as a result your lackadaisical and myopic non progressive reasoning.


This was not how the white left the country, things were pretty good, the first generation( Zik and Awos generation) handed over saner and better country, but what has your generation done to better the country and what are you handing over to us?? of course you were busy with your coup and counter coup, corruption cases here and there, killing those who have conflicting views from yours etc( Abachi and his like, may history never forgets the injustice melted by your generation sir...). The population as at then was minimal, the economy was better, favorable law to support growing businesses, little or no taxes,scholarships right, left and center. your generation had everything your ever wanted. I always tell my Dad, there was no reason not to have made it in life during their time ( i wasn't entirely correct ofcourse, because life happen to people)

when discussion politics,social vices and changes that has transpired over time, faults can not be entirety placed on these generation when we all know that life is transitional and in phases.

Your generation created the laws that govern this present generation and you blame us for the vices when your laws are there to oppose such vices..

as for this present generation that use the guise of unemployment, insecurity, poor infrastructure, bad government and all to engage in criminal activities, crime does not pay and the law will catch up with you soon.



thank you

Nah eh! No qualms


Op
You deserve award

Localemperor:
We are shaped by the decisions and choices we made in life. condemning this present generations for all the vices in the society is not entirely their faults, you made the foundations so rusty, you made the society unlawful, every thing we are experiencing today was as a result your lackadaisical and myopic non progressive reasoning.


This was not how the white left the country, things were pretty good, the first generation( Zik and Awos generation) handed over saner and better better, but what has your generation done to better the country and what are you handing over to us?? of course you were busy with your coup and counter coup, corruption cases here and there ( Abachi and his like, may history never forgets the injustice melted by your generation sir...)

Your generation created the laws that govern this present generation and you blame us for the vices when your laws are there to oppose such vices..

as for this present generation that use the guise of unemployment, insecurity, poor infrastructure, bad government and all to engage in criminal activities, crime dose not pay and the law will catch up with you soon.



thank you

But we the coming generation should leave excuses & right the wrongs of the past.

Two wrongs can never make a right!

Though, I salute your submission!!!

Me listening to MONSTERS YOU MADE by burna Boy back to back

There is always the temptation of assuming that the older generations were well trained while the current one is in danger. Closely related to this is the notion that people of a certain generation read a lot of books, therefore, they are better than the current one. These are mere hypotheses.

The world has always been the same. Some youths have always been wayward while many have always been conscious of future - that's part of human development. There are many people in your generation who cannot string together a sentence in English language without a mistake. Many! And they are in leadership positions. That man in the national assembly who speaks horrible English is not in his 20s. He is part of your generation. In fact there are many more like him there. Some in your generation also have been convicted of crimes.

Youths have always been youths. Majority of the people in the world do not have political ambition. Human beings have always focused on money and pleasure. Majority of the musicians in your generation ran away from school as well. Some of them became successful in their crafts.

There's no significant advantage of your generation over the current one. A lot of them are doing very well. Don't ever make the mistake of equating reading James Hardley Chase with making progress. You merely read them for your entertainment purpose. That was what was in vogue at that time. Moreover, the knowledge of James Hadley Chase may not be suitable for the current challenges. In terms of word count per day, the current youths also read thousands and thousands words everyday on various content providing platforms.

Even more worthy of note are the excellent performances recorded by the same youths in various national and international assessments beyond the comprehension of your generation. Instead of acknowledging this glaring fact of life, your generation has attempted to downplay or even denigrate it by arguing that some [undefined] standards are somehow lower than your time. Yet, exams that looked so insurmountable in your days are regularly being trounced by current youths.

These days, youths are focused on other productive things aside reading for pleasure. You will find a typical 12 or 13 year old girl/boy already versed in coding and AI skills, which were not even within the imagination of your generation. Many 25 year olds have started their own business and trying to cope with little or no assistance. Youths of today are more independent than your generation and more likely to succeed than your generation in many ways (not only in spoken English).

Even in politics, where it seems the law has been deliberately employed to shut them out, they haven't fared as badly as being assumed. A look at state level appointments and some federal appointments will reveal that youths are not totally unrepresented. They may be underrepresented but they have also taken it upon themselves to remove obstacles limiting their participation - like the age limits.

While it is a good thing to be concerned about perceived or real moral decadence in the society, there should be a conscious effort to situate that fear within contexts and not to generalise. Population is one very important factor to consider when looking at some of these things.