SIR: Youths in Nigeria no longer want to build wealth from the scratch like their fathers did. The minds of many youths in the country today are preoccupied with so many ideas as to how to make lots and lots of money to enable them wear the best of designers, eat the bests of foods, ride the best of cars and probably move with the best babes in town.
To others, it’s about attaining fame and turning up like a celebrity at every society event. Youngsters who engaged in cyber fraud, most of them care less, even if it requires them doing the unimaginable to fund their lust for luxury and extra-comfortable life. Some in their chase for the fulfillment of this desire have done unthinkable things just to belong. The devilish rituals explored by these youths to fund their lust have been brought to national attention.
Maybe some might want to ask the question: Does anyone really get rich from ritual killings? Why would a sane human being want to kill his fellow for money? We know unemployment is a hydra-headed monster which exists among the youth in all developing countries. Experts believe that the number of jobless youth is twice as high as official estimate.
Backed by unemployment, there’s the state of poverty in town. A huge percentage of people in Nigeria are living below poverty line; one third is said to survive on less than US$1 a day. Nollywood movies are today being condemned for the promotion of money rituals among youths. Let’s also talk about greed, dead conscience, unnecessary pressures from peers, and also personal life choices. Let’s talk about the parents, as some parents are far from reasonable; how can your child you send to school bring home a car and keep sending you money and you feel okay about it?
Nonetheless, there’s no justification for evil. The causal factors of this insatiable hunt for money can be phrased as the youths’ incapacity to handle the pressures of life. Yes, the pressure can be high, but nothing comes easy in life. We have to learn the right principles of how to be successful. It’s like building a house, we start with the foundation. Unfortunately most people, especially the youth fail to reach their goals because they want to do everything at once.
Like the rich people will say, “the secret is to stay in focus, work smart and hard.” If there is hope and vision for a better future then, the deplorable ‘unhealthy quest for riches’ must be eliminated.
However, it is pertinent to bring to consciousness that, the measure of a person is not by the amount of riches the person possesses, but by the quality and positive impact of the person’s social relationship or interactions with society, so the elders say.
Nigerian youths can look at the footsteps of Iyinoluwa Abodeji of Flutterwave, Adebola Williams and Chude Jideonwo of Red media Africa; we all know how they got their money. Why not you?
- Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun,
Lagos.