RevEREND Father John Damian Adizie, OCD

DO we really have youths in Nigeria? Where can we find the Nigerian youths? Do the youths have any place or any voice in politics? Are they involved in decision making? By the way, why are the youths trooping out of the country? What is responsible for the various agitations among the Nigerian youths? Is there any hope for the Nigerian youths?

To start with, most of the youths in Nigeria are fed up. Some of them are even ready to renounce their Nigerian citizenship if the opportunity arises. The few ones that are still in the country are either in the wrong place or at the wrong position. You can hardly find the youths in the rural areas. Most of the youths have relocated to the cities and even foreign lands.

The day I visited the American Embassy, I saw so many Nigerian youths who came for visa interview. This happens on a daily basis. Luckily for me, my visa application was rejected, so it was with so many young Nigerians who came for the interview that day. A customized rejection letter was issued to us without any clear explanation why the visa was rejected.

When I tried to inquire why our applications were rejected, I was only told to apply again. Not just applying again but that I have to pay for another visa fee. What of the one I paid? I asked. “It’s gone!”  Thank God I was not desperate to travel to America because I strongly believe that East or West home remains the best. But since then I have been wondering how much money these foreigners are making from our vulnerable Nigerian youths who are so desperate to travel out of this beautiful country.

Do you know that many Nigerian youths are trapped in Libya and other parts of the world. Some vulnerable ones die in the thick forest, most of them have even drowned in the sea with nobody to identify their bodies. The few ones who managed to find their way into Italy or other parts of Europe end up in a special prison known as ‘camp’ where they spend years hoping that one day they will get the necessary documents.

Do you know why fashion parade and other entertainment industries are becoming lucrative here in Nigeria? It is because most of our youths have no other option. The only way they could get their daily bread is by entertaining the rich old folks. For most young people, the only language they understand is football. They know all the players in the world and the amount each of them receives.

Most of our youths spend endless time, even late at night, watching and analyzing football. They are even initiated into Western and European football clubs. Members of Red Devil Club may not even know that devil with any other colour remains devil. Nothing good comes from the devil no matter the color; after all, he’s a chameleon. Unfortunately, some Men of God are beginning to patronize these devilish clubs by using them to raise fund in their churches. Instead of promoting the gospel message or other pious societies in the Church, they are now promoting football clubs.

Where are the Nigerian youths? The Nigerian youths are those young half nakedly dressed and vulture-looking ladies you find hanging around in most of the hotels and clubs across the nation. The most disheartening part of it all is that most of these young ladies are students from different campuses across the nation. For these young ladies, prostitution is now a lucrative way of making quick money. After all, who cares when some of the lecturers and even politicians are the ones that are patronizing them.

The Nigerian youths are the same political thugs you find during elections. They are the ones politicians often use to ring elections. The Nigerian youths are the same young ones that are living inside forest. Most of them are into kidnapping, some are highway robbers, while others are cultists. They are the so-called militants, and even Boko Haram. They are the ones that are terrorizing the entire nation.

An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. There is no doubt, our youths are frustrated because they have no job and no means of livelihood. We should not be insensitive to the needs of the youths. This country cannot move forward without the youths. The youths must be carried along, especially in decision making and job opportunities.. We must stop using them for our political and selfish interest. We must go out in search of our youths. Anywhere we find them, let us liberate them. Let’s encourage and empower them; For the empowerment of a youth is indeed the empowerment of a nation.