THE COMING GENERATION SCARES ME...REAL
HARD!
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 Osibajo
was 22.
The generation of the likes of Shagari, Richard
Akinjide,
Adisa Akinloye, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Ifeanyi
Nwobodo, Ume
Ezeoke, Akin Omoboriowo, Olusola Saraki, Sunday
Awoniyi,Garba Nadama, Awal Ibrahim and so on
have gone
for good! Some of us in our 40s and 50s, when in
school,
either in the university or secondary school, 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
ChengLeong for our Geography, Phebean
Ogundipe for
Practical English and others like that. We were
always
flaunting our knowledge of current affairs. Inter-
school quiz
competition was the in-thing.
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 had. But he does not know
anything
about history of nationalism in the country. Ideas
about
goodsociety, 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, an SUV!
The things that interest him are things that do
not add value.
He 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 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 IFSUCH 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.
Happy independence
HARD!
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 Osibajo
was 22.
The generation of the likes of Shagari, Richard
Akinjide,
Adisa Akinloye, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Ifeanyi
Nwobodo, Ume
Ezeoke, Akin Omoboriowo, Olusola Saraki, Sunday
Awoniyi,Garba Nadama, Awal Ibrahim and so on
have gone
for good! Some of us in our 40s and 50s, when in
school,
either in the university or secondary school, 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
ChengLeong for our Geography, Phebean
Ogundipe for
Practical English and others like that. We were
always
flaunting our knowledge of current affairs. Inter-
school quiz
competition was the in-thing.
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 had. But he does not know
anything
about history of nationalism in the country. Ideas
about
goodsociety, 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, an SUV!
The things that interest him are things that do
not add value.
He 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 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 IFSUCH 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.
Happy independence
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