Angry Letter to the Nigerian Youth

By Bayo Adeyinka

My dear Nigerian Youth,

I am very angry and that is why I am addressing you. You are the source of my anger and I want to vent my spleen- maybe not at you directly- but at the arrogance of your ignorance. Of all nations of the world, you are to be most pitied. Do you still wonder what you have done?

You don’t have an Ivy League education but with the little below-standard education you got, all you could do with it is to write a petition against someone with the benefit of an Ivy League education. You can’t even run your personal economy as you’re almost always and perpetually broke yet you arrogate to yourself superior knowledge about the nation’s economy.

You sit in front of a computer and rant all day through social media but with every click, you make money- not for yourself- but for Mark Zuckerberg. With every megabyte of data you spend complaining and maligning, you make stupendous bucks for Etisalat, Glo and Airtel.

Over the next two years, the number of Nigerian millionaires will jump by 47% but most likely you will not be among because you are too busy whining and complaining. And yet about 60% of Nigeria’s 170m population are below 35 years. Oh, what a waste!

By the way, Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when he started facebook. Africa’s youngest billionaire, Ashish Thakkar, is 31. He escaped from the Rwandan genocide and relocated to Uganda where he started an IT business. Collin Thornton, who made his millions by fixing bad computers and setting up Dial-a-Nerd, is 35. Adam Horowitz, an 18-year-old entrepreneur, started 30 websites in 3 years before he became successful.

The only thing you have ever started is an online petition. Have you heard of Jason Njoku? He’s 33 and the founder of Iroko TV. He received $8m investment into his company just a few years ago. What he does? Sharing the same Nollywood films that you spend hours to watch online. He didn’t just hang around waiting for Buhari to make something happen or blaming Jonathan for not making anything happen.

Kamal Budhabhatti was deported from Kenya but while on the flight, he thought of the opportunities in Kenya. He found his way back after 6 months and today his company is valued at $30m. He’s 36. Have you heard of Chinedu Echeruo? Apple just paid $1b for his app. He’s a Nigerian like you and all he did was attempt to fix a problem.

But for you, the only thing you attempt to fix are your nails- and your hairdo! Chinedu moved to New York in 1995 and found it difficult to navigate the city with ease so he developed HopStop to fix the problem. Stop listing all the problems- we know them already but what are you doing about them?

Awolowo was 37, Akintola was 36, Ahmadu Bello was 36, Tafawa Balewa was 34, Okotie-Eboh was 27 and Enahoro was 27 at the time of independence of Nigeria. In 1966, the first coup was led by Kaduna Nzeogwu (29) and stopped by Murtala Mohammed (28), TY Danjuma (28), IBB (25), Sanni Abacha (23) and Shehu Yaradua (23). It brought in Yakubu Gowon as Head of State at 32 and Obasanjo at 29. You are in your 40s and you still sag your trousers.

Of course you know Linda Ikeji. You’ve spent hundreds of hours on her blog laughing and commenting while she smiles her way to the bank. She’s just built a house for her father in the village- just by you clicking on her gossip and sharing. Your day is not complete without a stop by at her blog. She was as broke as you are but she turned a hobby into a business. Are you that void of understanding?

You think the politicians have any regard for you? That is why I referred to the arrogance of your ignorance at the beginning of this diatribe. You have a false estimation of yourself. You have an over bloated ego. You are only as good as an election ticket- pure and simple.

You are only good to used and discarded like a used ballot paper. Who keeps a used ballot paper anyway? That is why they only remember you every four years. You are like a menstrual pad that is only useful during the menstrual period. Are you hurt? Okay, let me help you. Have you heard of Prof Olusola Adeyeye before?

He is a Senator of the Federal Republic at the moment. But before he became a senator, he was popular on facebook. Even more popular than so many latter day facebookivists. I was one of his many followers. He put up posts after posts and pander to populist thinking. Then he was elected and one of the first things he did was to deactivate his facebook account. Yes, you read me right. Deactivate. How many times do you still see El-Rufai’s tweets? No longer regular? That is how it will dwindle until he disappears totally. I’m not limiting it to the aforementioned alone and this is not about any party. They are all the same.

Yet you falsely believe your future is in the hands of one politician. You will grow grey hair with that belief. And by the time you wise up, you’re on your way to the grave- not with a life expectancy of less than 60 years in this clime. Can you see you have wasted your time? And possibly your life? See, people have been complaining since independence. And they will still complain in 4 years. Will you be among them?

I agree with my friend who said Nigerian youth need mental detoxification. And maybe I should add that you need a brain transplant. Let me give you another example. I’ve watched you try to pull some people down when you don’t like their face- or their comments. You report them to facebook. And they get pulled down. Momentarily. Just momentarily.

Do you know why? Facebook knows those people draw traffic. Their posts get huge numbers of comments. And with every comment and click, someone is making money. Will you allow your best customers to leave? That is why though facebook pulled down Adeyinka Grandson’s page, he was given a facebook fan page in return. Yes, a fan page. You need to get a job and you need to get a life. There is life away from facebook or social media.

If you’re not making money from social media and you sleep on it, you’re merely existing- you’re not living. I have seen some of you take selfies and pose in all manner of ways as you paste your photos on social media. Are you a photographer or are you selling something that we don’t know? You’re unemployed because you’re unemployable. You don’t have skills. Sorry, the major skill you have is that of pointing out the problems and debating about them. That’s a no brainer! You can’t even diagnose the problems properly.

You think Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala is your problem? You are a self-inflicted problem. You are afflicted with yourself and by yourself. If you’re looking for the reason why you are the way you are- look no further than your mirror. Instead of occupying Nigeria, you should occupy your brain. The only witch chasing you from your village is you. It’s time to stop bewitching yourself.

Stop whining about lack of electricity or fuel. Do something about it. Every adversity has a seed of opportunity embedded in it. Create something. Invent something. Start something. Read up a book. Write a book. Take advantage of the present situation. Nigeria is a huge market. Nigeria is a virgin market. Waiting for you. Unleash yourself. Release your passion. Follow your potential. Invent your way to prosperity. Stop waiting for government- government only needs you when they need your taxes. Don’t depend on welfare. People who depend on welfare don’t fare well.

You think you lack capital? No, the problem is not lack of capital but lack of ideas. Just today, two men stepped into my wife’s office selling the new portraits of Buhari and Osinbajo. That’s someone grabbing an opportunity and seizing the moment. I have a friend who started out by offering after-school lessons to kids on her street- now she has a school.

I know a lady who was indigent and self-sponsored on campus. Each night, she soaked beans and made ‘moin-moin’ in the morning for sale on campus. I bought out of the moin moin as well as some other students and that was how she paid her way through University. Not prostitution. Have you heard of Ayodeji Megbope? She started her business with the last N1,000 she had on her by making moin moin. She is the CEO of No Leftovers.

I have shared the story of ‘Akara Ayo’ and invited him to talk to us before. He left his banking job to start a business frying Akara (bean cake) in Ibadan. And added some innovation to it.

Start a snail farm. You can start it with less than N100,000. I started it with nothing- I just picked up snails in my compound and raised them. In a couple of months, I had raised close to a thousand. You have a car and you are complaining you don’t have a job? Convert it for car hire. Take it to the airports and see how people will hire it for the day. Liase with good hotels and place it at their disposal. I met a young man in Calabar who charges N1,500 per hour for the use of his car. There is something in your hand that can give you the future you want. The best moment to start is now.

For God’s sake, just do something!

NB: This is just an article to stir up and challenge people and it’s intention is not derogatory in any form.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/angry-letter-to-the-nigerian-youth/#sthash.w2ZLuvRV.dpuf

APC Crisis: Northern leaders move to cut Tinubu to size. Buhari will give Tinubu the Awolowo treatment. Tinubu’s greedy thirst for power will be his greatest undoing.
This is actually expected. Wasn’t it the same thing they did to Obasanjo after Yar ‘adua won? Funny thing, since the beginning of Nigerian history, that same scenario has played out so many times; it is now comical. The North use the Yoruba to get what they want and then drop them when time comes. MKO; Awo, Obj, and now Tinubu.
Awo betrayed the Igbos to please the north, who later turned the heat on him. Northern leaders have given prominent Yoruba men an overdose of humiliation that will last them a life time despite using them to fight the civil war. Awo later died. This is how the scenario will play itself out.

*June 2015……..GMB in power….politics between northern power bloc and southwestern power bloc starts
*2016….full blown crisis leading to South-western APC members decamping to a new party
*2017…South-West politicians start making moves to reconcile with South-East and South-South in order to push out GMB in 2019
*2018…After a lot of deliberations and reconciliations, the stage is set for a North vs South election.
*2019…….who wins?. Will the SE/SS deal with the SW treachery? Yes.

The fact that the Northern oligarchy refused to allow the VP head Buhari’s transition committee should give the Yorubas something to think about. Afonja, Awolowo, MKO, Tinubu; a tribe that fails to learn from history. “Change they said, Change Nigerians Got.” Pity, Nigerians were fooled. Well as I said before, “Nigerians voted in naivety, they shall reap in soberness”


- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/on-apc-and-buhari-no-excuse-for-failure-change-must-be-change/#sthash.HuZUpFJi.dpuf

mjames:
Correct. Fear Airtel

lol, airtel 3g = 100mb real

there was this day i checked my data balance and i had 1526 mb, i downloaded a file of 36 with my phone, disconnected my data and checked my balance again, guess what, lol they deducted like 124mb, fear catch me

astana1:
GEJ administration marginalized AND SACKED PEOPLE TO SET OUT HIS TRIBALISTIC AGENDA

JONATHAN HAD XENOPHOBIA OF EVERYBODY THAT WAS NOT FROM SE/SS

Igbo man Ike Nkeremandu, Deputy Senate President

Igbo man Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker

(Imagine that in a country with 6 geopolitical zones, one occupies the two of the 4 major National Assemby leadership positions!!)

Igbo man Pius Ayim, Secretary to the Federal Government

igbo man Godwin Emefiele is the governor of the central bank of Nigeria

Igbo woman, Finance Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy

Igbo woman petroluem Minister

Igbo man Nebo, Power Minister

Igbo man Minister of aviation

Printing and Minting - Igbo

HEAD OF DSS -Igbo

MINISTER OF Health - Igbo

Jonathan removed other tribes from head of parastatals and put Igbos there but that would be addressed now. Bureau of statistics was filled up with Igbos.

Even the Hausas/Fulanis in military have never done this above show of shame and pure tribalism. And Igbos were quiet all through that adminisTRATION

HAD THIS BEEN DONE BY ANY OTHER TRIBE, THE IGBO'S WILL BE CRYING MARGINALIZATION cos others were marginalised.

yES youre right all these ones are igbo toooo




Mohammed Wakil - Minister of State power

Mr Bashir Yuguda - Minister of state finance

Hajia Asabe Asmau Ahmed - Minister of State Agriculture

Bala Muhammed - Minister of FCT

Sanusi Dagash - Minister of works

Mohammed Adoke - Attorney General and Minister of Justice

Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau - Minister of education

Lawrencia Laraba Mallam - Minister of environment

Ambassador Aminu Wali - Minister of Foreign affairs

Dr. Khaliru Alhassan - Minister of state Health

Labaran Maku - Minister of information and communications

Arc. Mohammed Musa Sada - Minister of mines and steel development

Gen. Aliyu Gusau - Minister of Defence

Mr. Bulama - Minister of Science and Technology

Senator Idris A.Umar - Minister of Transport

Boni Haruna - Minister of Youth Development

Hajia Zainab Maina - Minister Of Women Affairs

Kabiru Turaki - Minister of Special Duties

finally, go Take a bottle of snipper

Eleyi gidi gan

#Team engineers

Yungwizzzy:
Jonathan has really failed us

Blame jona that ure alive, I believe ure a joker, if @ all ure serious then u need ur medication

kilokeys:
NySC handbook having contacts of all passing out corpers..
thats how they got ur info

When i served we didn't add our phone numbers on the handbook because of these fraudsters

Gej main man looks smart, GEJ All the way
....

wallex1983:
Ifayiose......

Do you observe that most of the people talking anyhow, both in the ruling party and the opposition are Yorubas. Perhaps we take things too far. Even from Baba, Okupe, Fani, Layi, Fayose, Abati, Mimiko, even gani adams......

The likes of Maku are out of the scene now. IBB iڪ diplomatic. Akpabio sef seem to be in his shells lately.

Yoruba......... RONU!

Typically Yoruba's, praise singers, you can easily buy them over, but they can betray you...

Him fayose in PDP = Amechi in APC, wonder why no one complains when amaechi launches such vicious verbal attack on GEJ, maybe its because GEJ is currupt n OBJ is a saint, shehu shagari, Gowon, babangida, abdusalam are all past n responsible ex presidents, there's nothing that OBJ knws that these ex presidents don't know yet they act responsibly.

Tell him!

Lord Jesus , let your will be done

They are all Northerners, everywhere even in my village, yet their elites are controlling the economy, owners of oil blocks n actively present/dominant in the civil service but will never empower their people.....

OgidiOlu3:
It's called Google Doodle and they change it occasionally to commemorate holidays or events.

you're absolutely right

The jet fuel NA kerosene na, refined kero, burns with less smoke because it is purer than normal kero

Obasonjo, is a disgrace to the military, is he the the only retired military general in Nigeria? Officer of the NA are meant to be disciplined , what do obasonjo knows that babangida or abdusalam don't kknow, yet they never made inciting statements, military generals are always coded....

Ndi ofe-mmanu, betrayers since 1420AD,

Northerners with all this money cannot develop their states, no youth empowerment, no scholarships offer to their people, no project that will benefit their people, they spend their money in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, uae, compare that with southerners/easterners that are made, many of them have scholarship program they are funding, they instal social amenities in their communities, its a shame to these northern elites.

englishmart:
no doubt she's making money. But for the cancelled, I don't agree with you

why na

Don't be discouraged kayla, might be the first to regain freedom from these Islamic scumbags

Sweet girl, Making money.....

DAT website isn't authentic, checking it out though, meanwhile make una return our 1k na

It must be android, particularly mtk device, so that I can manipulate

Im in support of this thread

Rip muna, na females ful dis thread