OLUWAPELUMI AYENI
What a generation of lawless people! Both old and young, male and female, literate and illiterate, rich and poor, single and married, connected and not connected, every calibre of people in this 21st century has seen lawlessness as a normal virtue to possess, even when they know it is bad and eating up the society.
The Church and the Mosque which are supposed to be places of prayer, where people should run to for help is now a snared. Many so-called religious leaders have turned the house of prayer into a den of thieves. They extort their members, rape and commit all sorts of abominable acts right in there. Their followers who also find it difficult to believe in themselves and the God they serve decide to lay all at the feet of their so-called religious leaders at the expense of their lives.
They make themselves prey in the hands of the wicked one all in the name of miracles, which have been provided already by God but they refuse to see because of their covetousness and greed.
The government, on the other hand, that should serve the citizens that got them elected has also decided to put the electorates into slavery. They drive in exotic cars; enjoy their air-conditioned offices, fight for positions, looking for all means to loot the nation’s wealth, to impoverish the citizens. They mastermind evil practices such as kidnapping, forgery, selling of human parts and all sorts of corrupt practices unabashedly.
They never think of having a positive impact on the lives of the upcoming generations that they call leaders of tomorrow, rather they use them for their selfish interests and dump them on the streets. They claim to be the country’s ambassadors but what we see are ambassadors of poverty with kleptomaniac’s fingers. The political world where we should have a little light of hope as we elect them into that position is a mess already. What exactly is our fate in a country like this?
The school where proper information should be given to children on academics, morals and the likes has also turned to be a home of nuisance and truancy. There is no difference between the students and their teachers. Students have no regard for those teaching them all because of the ‘change’ they offer the teachers for marks, and the teachers all in the name of no salary collect with joy, derive pleasure in flirting around with female students and refuse to impact the necessary knowledge that is needed to be impacted.
No security in the country, loss of lives and properties everywhere, children go to school in fear, market women go to the market in fear, everyone goes out daily with the fear of not knowing what might happen next, not sure whether they will be back home safe or not. Security officers who the country rely on to protect her citizens are even doing worse in colliding with thieves, kidnappers and other criminals by collecting bribe to allow them to operate at whatever level they want to.
Imagine finding a kidnapper’s den very close to a police check point, where innocent travelers are being butchered and sold off. This is just so crazy. Will the security agents deny the fact that they know nothing about the activities going on in that building for months? Drug trafficking every day, lawlessness everywhere, and only the poor that are not “connected” suffer undue prosecution because they have no money to offer and have no one to stand in for them.
Youths now gallantly move around the country, boasting with blood money everywhere. They are no longer concerned about the aftermath. Imagine a 16-year-old boy having billions of money in his account, building mansions, riding in exotic cars, spending lavishly, and there, you will see the parents boasting of a successful child. Who employed him? What business is he doing? Even a salary earner is yet to build just a 2 bedroom flat, and then after 2-3 years, he’s gone. What a wasted destiny! When the youths are doing all these without a rethink of the future, tell me, who will be there to lead when tomorrow comes?
Parents and guardians too have decided to be a part of this lawlessness. They fail to train their children in the right way all in the name of searching for daily needs. Many even encourage their children directly or indirectly to go into internet fraud as long as it will yield money, thereby damaging the future of their children. Sometimes ago, a woman was boldly saying she willingly pleaded with one of the so-called ‘yahoo boys’ in her street to train her son and that she’s happy the son is learning fast. I looked at her, crying silently that, is this really happening?
Can we just take a break, sit back and think through what will be of this generation in the next ten years? The good legacies laid down by our fallen heroes and heroines are being trampled upon and forgotten. Oh! How my heart cries for this generation and the generations yet unborn!
It is not too late to make a change, religious leaders should all come to the knowledge of truth, faithfully serve God, lay good examples to their followers and stop deceiving them for their own gain.
Government should serve the people they claim to represent and stop using them as ladders to the top. Teachers should train the children to trust in their hands with all faithfulness and a conscience void of offence. Security agents should rise to their responsibilities as the lives of citizens are directly or indirectly in their hands and live up to the oath they take while they were being sworn into office. Youths should make it a duty to be useful to themselves and society. Parents and guardians should be careful in what they say or do to their children as it can either make or mar them.
Let us all in togetherness reshape this dear country by doing the right thing at our own different homes, everywhere and anywhere we may find ourselves as we all will reap whatsoever we sow It is spoilt already, yes, but don’t be part of the problem rather be a repairer. Shun corruption and other evil practices that have eaten up the country to what it is today. It is a clarion call and we all should rise to build a nation where peace and justice reign as the national anthem reads. May the peace of God find a place to dwell among the ‘Giant of Africa.
NATIONAL YOUTH CORPS MEMBER,
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION,
INFORMATION SERVICES,
ILORIN, KWARA STATE.
EMAIL: loveolami19@gmail.com
Join our twitter community :