The Nigerian Youth And The Challenge Of Nation Building

By Comrade Akido Agenro

The youth of a nation constitute an important segment of the population. As it has been noted by the British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli [1804-1881] “The youth of a nation are the trustees of posterity”. It is for this reason that much resource is expended in providing for the education of young men and women to equip them for public service. The educational curriculum in most countries around the world is designed to produce thinking men and women, young people who are equipped with the capacity to scrutinise and make independent and objective assessment of the developments around them, as opposed to the mere inculcation of vocational skill and intellectual capacity for the enhancement of the individual’s material wellbeing.

.The carefree attitude of the younger generation in present day Nigeria is such that gives cause for concern when viewed against the backdrop of an environment afflicted by political volatility, widespread insecurity, economic stagnation, corruption in high places and heightened social dissention. The interest of the youth of today is concentrated on leisure as football, music, movies, computer games and such other pastime that solely amuse the fun seeker to the exclusion of reading and other recreational activities that add to their understanding and appreciation of the challenges plaguing the country at the moment and have them prepared for the role expected of them in righting the wrongs that have held the society hostage to poverty, ignorance and disease.

Take for example the issue of most Nigerian young men’s preoccupation with soccer and their excitement with the fabulous earnings of major players in the teams competing in Europe to the neglect if not outright disdain for events that occur at the home front. Early in the year when the federal and state governments are eagerly awaited to announce their budgets, revealing the expected income and expenditure for the year 2014, one would imagine that this would present a rare opportunity for a scrutiny of government finances by all well-meaning Nigerians with a view to identifying areas where the interest of the masses is addressed and what sector attracts government priority.

A case in point is the vexatious clause contained in the 2014 Appropriation Bill submitted to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan for consideration, that provides for the acquisition of an additional aircraft to the tune of N1.5 billion to further boost an already bloated presidential fleet with 10 aircraft whereas mass train transit of the Nigeria Railway Corporation is in acute shortage of wagons to conveniently ferry commuters across major cities in Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and Enugu. The railway in several countries all over the world constitutes an important mode for cargo haulage and a convenient, affordable and safe means of transporting persons within and across a geographical divide. Unfortunately, however, the Nigeria Railway Corporation is operating amidst severe constraints that have rendered it a shadow of what it used to be, the plan for its revitalization that began several years ago having been intermittently stalled by a paucity of funds. This is an aspect of the 2014 national budget that should attract severe reproof from an informed public.

Unfortunately, however, most young people are rather too engrossed in frivolous preoccupations to be bothered about this obvious underhand deal. Whereas they drool over the mouthwatering pay of professional footballers plying their trade abroad, they remain totally oblivious about the social, economic and political events at home, even those incidents with disastrous consequences to the entire nation. It is a clear case of the people fiddling while Rome burns. This is a sad development for the country as such nonchalant attitude on the part of the vibrant segment of the population does not augur well for its democratic growth since it gives the political leadership the latitude to ride roughshod over the welfare of the common people.

It requires an in-depth knowledge of political happenings for the populace to effectively carry out their role under a democratic dispensation. Democratic practice flourishes on actions that are based on informed decision. How much the government at both local, state and federal tiers have appropriated to themselves and what is left to cater for infrastructural upgrade, tackle the growing unemployment rate, the allocation earmarked for development project in the ministries, departments and government agencies [MDGs] and to what extent the executive effectively disburses the funds appropriated for the year is crucial to the decision on who or what party to merit the individual’s vote in subsequent elections. In the absence of information rumours and speculations become the order of the day.

At every gathering of the youth, most of who incidentally are applicants, prospective students of higher institutions or menial workers, the topic of discussion is a foregone conclusion. It usually centres either on the review of the last game or a preview of the next one. Critical public issues as the forthcoming national conference, the 2015 general elections, the impending 2014 budget or the state of insecurity in the country do not feature on the discourse agenda. Captivating and sizzling headlines reporting events in the ever tense political environment in Nigeria do not catch their fancy neither are the television and radio documentaries that analyse major happenings in the polity nor the frequent legal fireworks among several  explosive exchanges between rival political parties.

For Nigeria to realise her aspiration for sustainable and rewarding democratic practice the youth who constitute an estimated 70 per cent of the population must rise and take their civic responsibility with determination and courage. It borders on crass complacency for the people who are abandoned to want and privation by corrupt leaders and constantly under the threat of annihilation by religious bigots, ethnic militia and criminal elements to content themselves entirely with leisure to the neglect of crucial public issues.

To discharge this role which society places on every citizen requires enlightenment on the happenings around the country as presented by the mass media. It is puzzling how some people have chosen to remain aloof and unperturbed while elected officials have appropriated a large percentage of the budget [It is alleged that this tiny part of the nation’s population consume 50% of the national budget], the population is being steadily decimated mostly in the northeastern part of the country by bands of religious insurgents at the same time that a large number of fellow compatriots are butchered like animals on daily basis in an orgy of endless inter-ethnic violence.

Political scholars have frequently cited Switzerland as the epitome of modern democracy due to the excellent character of the average Swiss. A political philosopher, J. Dubes once wrote, “Survey the countries of the world, you may find elsewhere greater political achievement, but assuredly  in no country will you meet so many good citizens of independent opinion and sound practical judgment; no where so great a number of public men who succeed in fulfilling their function in minor spheres with dignity and skill; nowhere so large a proportion of persons who outside their daily round, interest themselves so keenly in the welfare and in the difficulties of their fellow citizens”.

The Christmas’ eve horror involving Mr. Frederick Onigbo, who committed suicide in Abuja was one gory episode that bears every similarity with that of Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian who set himself ablaze in December 2010 to vent his frustration with the system, an incident which incited the people to riots throughout Tunisia in protest against the hardship faced by the people. It will be recalled that the riots and demonstrations attending Bouazizi’s death culminated in the Tunisian Revolution which in turn heralded what became known as the Arab Spring, the clamour for democratic reform that spread across the Arab world. Unfortunately for Mr. Onigbo his own suicide passed quietly for the reason that many people were not aware of the touching incident let alone eliciting their reaction.

While their counterparts in developed countries may conveniently spend their entire lifetime on lighthearted pastime if any of them so chooses given the level of the sociopolitical and economic advancement overseas, the youth in Nigeria cannot afford such a luxury because life in Nigeria is full of uncertainties and everyone needs to equip himself with the weapon to face the challenges of the moment. By keeping abreast of the day to day developments across the land the electorate are enlightened to play it safe and also make informed contributions to public issues.

It is not that one is up against soccer enthusiasts for their preferences, but it is their aversion for happenings in the political spheres that one finds baffling. The political superstructure is dependent on the economic substructure for its sustenance, yet quite interestingly, it is the political actors that manage the economy through policies and programmes. In the intricate interdependent relations between politics and the economy no individual can distance himself from the society to escape the effect of government’s mismanagement of the economy or be insulated from the hardship resulting from ill thought-out government economic policies. Besides, wrangling among politicians that is further exacerbated by overzealous and ignorant supporters has often spelled dire consequences for the entire polity in the past.

The youth have by their ardent attention to goings-on in the EPL and other European soccer tournaments become conversant with overseas club owners, managers and players alongside their earnings as well as  transfer or loan fees [as they are traded like stock in the open market], but the same group of people are totally ignorant of the elected leaders particularly officials representing them at the National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly and at the local government level, the men and women who are saddled with the task of shaping the destiny of the entire nation.

As the nation inches close to 2015 and with general elections fixed by INEC for 14 and 28 February, 2015, politicians have become preoccupied with plans aimed at positioning them strategically for that election; defection is presently the order of the day as political gladiators form coalitions and forge alliances across ethnic divides in preparation to checkmate their rivals and emerge victorious next year. In like fashion, the electorate ought to close ranks, lay sentiment aside and watch the politicians’ moves intensely to know those among the pack with the pedigrees to merit their votes.

The carefree attitude of Nigerian soccer fans to public affairs is an indication of the prevailing poor political orientation in the country. It bothers on gross irresponsibility for a large and vibrant section of the population to engage in fun seeking adventure when its commonwealth is being frittered away by a tiny minority that makes up the ruling class.  This nonchalant attitude has rendered the people pliant and consequently susceptible to manipulation by selfish politicians. Soccer in this clime has turned out as the opium of the people. This is unhealthy for the effort at deepening democracy in Nigeria. Indeed as observed by Mao Zedong [1893-1976], “Not to have a correct political orientation is like not having a soul”. •Agenro is Coordinator, Democracy Orientation Movement, 18 James Street, Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, email: [email protected]