The Nation Newspaper

Tag: youths

  • Who says youths are leaders of tomorrow?

    SIR: Young people are part of the bouquet of a society. They are an integral and essential part of a society; they offer that specific aroma of theirs which complements the societal wholeness. Young people cannot survive without a society, and a society in turn is incomplete without their belligerence. That informs the cliché, “Nigerian youths are the leaders of tomorrow”.

    I wonder why the term has become so unrealistic and impossible to attain. Today, unemployment has not only ravaged our young minds, the future is particularly bleak.

    I hear stentorian activists make speeches about on how women can serve if given 35 percent opportunity. What about the youths?

    Being a leader tomorrow requires a vision today, and this vision today must be put to work for full actualization. This used to be the case until tomorrow turned to horror. When the vision of being a leader seems to have completely dwindled yesterday and now today – we are left like sheep without shepherd. It seems everything we had envisaged have fizzled.

    In 1985, IBB was the president and our teachers told us that Buhari was the former Head of state. Then, our teacher also called us “the leaders of tomorrow”. Twenty-seven years later, IBB and Buhari are still around the scene. Its either our teacher lied to us about being the leaders of tomorrow, or that tomorrow is yet to come. Who’s fooling who?

    In a country like ours, it is dispiriting to think what the future holds, when as blessed as we are, what has befallen us is regression.

    Imagine; in 1983, Bamanga Tukur was Governor of the defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba). Thirty years later, he would emerge as chairman of the ruling party, PDP. Dr. Bello Halliru was commissioner in the Old Sokoto State (now Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara) only to become Minister of Defence 33 years after. Major General David Mark (rtd) was military governor of Niger State in 1984 and now he is Senate President more than 28 years after. The same goes for ex-Governor Murtala Nyako, who was governor of Niger State in 1976.  Until his impeachment recently, he was Governor of Adamawa State – 36 years after.

    What then can we do? Recently some states are passing bills against peaceful demonstrations – their trick to bamboozle the many for their pound of flesh. These peter pans would employ many ways to make sure the youths peter out, if their egregious activities keep being challenged as mascots.

    Only in Nigeria is this possible. A place where the youth have no hope of the future, where the health sector, labour, judiciary and education are perennially on strike.

    The question is – if youths have not prepared themselves sufficiently today, how can anyone say that the future will be bright?

    Let all hands be on deck, if we must escape these shackles and wade into the future as leaders.

     

    •Onwa Franklin Chukwuemeka,

    Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State.

  • Why youths are addicted to gambling

    It lives with us. Many consider it as a past time because legislation supports it. The rich gamble to get richer, the poor gamble to run away from the ambience of poverty. The gamblers do not have it written on their faces; there is no smell associated with it neither does it leave any trail on their body but it is the trait runs in their blood.

    The habit, which, with time turns to addiction, makes life to become worthless without it. Such is the life cycle of gamblers.

    Gambling makes you wager your money or other valuable items on an uncertain event. It is dependent, partly or wholly, on chance. In the long run, the bet causes harm to the gambler after he loses his chance. Gambling is a game of chance in which the probability of winning is an independent event. That is, just as there are only two sides to a coin, there are also only two sides in gambling. It is either you win or you lose. There is no such thing as sitting on the fence in a bet.

    In recent times, gambling rate has increased in geometric proportions and this is because of the desire to cheat greedy people by the lottery firm and to generate revenue for government. The lottery industry is becoming lucrative as it has become a huge employer of labour through the establishment of different lotteries and sweepstakes.

    The casinos, movie viewing centres, restaurants, bars etc become the pride rendezvous for gamblers to engage in betting.

    While gambling may generate revenue for the government and its agencies, some communities and religious institutions have continued to oppose it. This many not be unconnected with the concern that gambling leads to crime, corruption and other vices, which may be occasioned by the desperation to win at all cost.

    Alas, the most active participants in this trade are adolescents and youths whose main objective, rather than being on how to lay good foundations to better their tomorrow, is on the desire to get rich at all cost and crush any obstacle that might stand against their desire.

    Some of its apologists say gambling is a mere entertainment. If indeed it is, why would religious bodies go against it? For those who indulge in it, it is first a habit and later, a source of livelihood. But if the gambler does not win again, he may have to look other way (not usually a godly way) to make a living. Then, it becomes a problem.

    In a not-too-distant past, the general feeling towards gambling particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria is that of distraught and strong aversion. Today, it is no longer a vice accompanied by negative connotations and a loss of self-definition. It is now a form of entertainment, especially among youths of this distressed generation.

    Gambling poses a significant challenge to our public health. Recent statistics show that adolescents and young adults face highest risk of developing gambling problems. This is because of the increase in gambling centres, where the underage are daily being exposed to unregulated forms of gambling and are daily succumbing to the temptation and pressure to engage in the act.

    As in most game of chance, money is spent to get more money. And for adolescents and youths who rely on their parents for their daily bread, the money to bet has to be gotten from their parents under false excuse. If this fails, they look for other means of getting the money to satisfy their urge to bet.

    At this point, gambling becomes an addiction. Its effect devastates both to doer, the family and the society at large. When the money stops coming the way of gambler, he may engage in drugs in frustration.

    In trying to escape poverty and play roles in the financial upkeep of their families, many youths have chosen to indulge in gambling to put food on their family’s table.

    The mass media is culpable in promoting the act of gambling through newspaper ads and electronic advertorial. The resultant effect of gambling on youths, if not checked, could go worse than the problem associated with drug abuse.

    One of the ways to check the immoral act of gambling is enactment of a legislation that would regulate gambling and make it less lucrative by setting a limit on the amount a gambler can place on betting, which will, in turn, reduce the amount he would win.

    The situation whereby lottery houses promote their businesses online should also be discouraged. Gambling among youths would be reduced if unemployment is tackled.

    Avenues must be created for youths to engage in productive ventures as this is the only true way they can be discouraged from developing gambling habits that subsequently ruin individual and family values. Chinese poet, Ai Qing, noted: “The losers win, the winners lose. What does not change is the dirt, the rags and the stupidity. At dusk in disappointment they scatter, each one returning to his pitch black house.” The house in this contest is the society where we all live in.

     

    Philip, graduating student of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, DELSU

  • Youths urged to be change agents

    The General Superintendent of Christ Holy Church International, His Grace Daniel Okoh has urged Nigerian youths to rise to the current challenge and become agents of transformation which God has called them to be.

    Okoh spoke at this year’s International Youth Conference of the church in Asaba, Delta State. The theme of the conference was “Your Vision, Your Mission.”

    He further urged youths to summon the courage to resist overtures from politicians who would want to use them for evil doings.

    He said: “Their (politicians) children are overseas studying and they want to destroy other people’s children.

    “I told parents and communities in Ghana that if anyone wants to use the youth as thugs or agents of destruction, they should summon courage to challenge those politicians and ask them to get their own children.

    “Some of their children are not here. They should not take advantage of the poor.”

    On the state of insecurity in Nigeria, the bishop prophesied that the siege in the Northeast will soon end, adding “the church is praying for God to touch the hearts of those the enemy is using to kill innocent citizens.

    “We have been urged to watch and pray. We are also encouraging our people not to lose hope or be panicky as all these things must surely come to an end. We pray that God will give those in authority the strategy to put a stop to all the security challenges in the country.

    “One day, God will touch the hearts of the insurgents to drop their arms and follow Christ. It was God that changed the heart of Saul who later became Paul and an apostle. He was the persecutor of the Church before he was transformed. We pray for the transformation of those the enemy is using now,” he said.

    Okoh said the essence of the conference was to bring the youth together and mold them into becoming transformation agents that God will use to restore peace in the country.

  • WACC urges strengthening of youths’ voices

    WACC urges strengthening of youths’ voices

    The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) has called on its worldwide network of members and partners to strengthen the voices of young people in the political, economic and social life of their countries.

    In a statement issued on the International Day of Democracy WACC said it believes that recognizing and building on communication rights uphold genuine democracies – in which people and communities can strive for greater equality and peace and full participation in decisions that affect their lives.

    It however noted that in many places in the world, communication rights are under threat.

    “ WACC members and partners are called to empower and encourage young people to voice their concerns for a better world. They can do so through such WACC-supported initiatives as the Creative Centre for Communication and Development (Zimbabwe), which is enabling girls to use citizen journalism and digital media platforms to change attitudes that perpetuate the practice of child marriage.

    “ In Colombia, Grupo ComunicArte is helping young people to express themselves on radio. Specialising in “school radios”, the group is working with teachers, community and traditional leaders to carry out a project that strengthens the participation of Indigenous Inga youth in genuine community development, ” the association said in the statement signed by its President, Dr. Dennis Smith, WACC President and General Secretary Rev. Dr. Karin Achtelstetter.

    WACC reiterated that genuine communication involves sharing information and knowledge, discussing, listening and being heard.

    “Engaging young people on democracy” according to WACC means making young people the subjects of communication and – crucially – hearing their voices.

    The theme of this year’s International Day of Democracy on 15 September 2014 is “Engaging young people on democracy”, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of young people taking part in democratic processes.

     

  • Youths and the change we want

    SIR:  Some believe that the tragedy of Africa and Nigeria in particular is the exclusion of excellence and preference for mediocrity. This school of thought equally believes that the country can be saved by gravitating to the centre and engage issues of institutions by changing the mindset. It argues further that to expect God to do something while we don’t do anything is not a belief but superstition. Mass action by the people brings about change, not by writing commentaries on papers and radio. When truth overtakes falsehood, the people will celebrate. The danger society faces is when good men leave the game of politics for the bad men and society suffers.

    People stand up for the general good else they bequeath a hopeless legacy for future generations. People learn how to organize and not to agonize in building new political platform. Often times they have to challenge the status quo by pouring into the street and demand for change.

    For the young ones according to Franz Fanon, ‘that future will not forgive them if they refuse to fight injustice by mute impassibility’. The young and active young of societies of the world over are dynamic change agents. They need alternative political platforms provided by mass action to decide their destiny. The stark realities of neo-liberal capitalism have continually denied them the empowerment and a voice in the political space.

    In the vortex of the current economic order, what the Nigerian youths can do differently is challenge the status quo by taking up leadership positions. The must cue into the wave of change as the baton of leadership changes hand as it is the trend in the world today. Youth as a period of life is not an opportunity to be wasteful, parasitic and unproductive. There are hopes of a lot more for the youths of every nation to advance the cause of change to make it forward to greatness.

    The Nigerian youths are advised to think literally out of the box. We live in a fast pace and challenging word. We must not be doing things in the old ways and expect positive results. We can make that dream happen if only everyone goes out to propagate the ideas, values, visions and the desired energy. There is urgent need for the youths to take the National Assembly up on the constitutional impediments culminating in political exclusion. The reality is that those who were active political actors in the Second Republic are still much occupying the political space. This was evident in the low representation of youths in the just concluded National Conference.

    The youths also affirm that some of them are often used by the political elites to perpetuate rigging of elections, constitute militants and fundamentalist insurgents. These are systematic regime tendencies designed and stage managed by the status quo which goes beyond protecting votes at the polling centres by voters. The youths are admonished to play the game to rule their destiny. To pay the price for change and stand up to take power as the old will not give up easily without a fight.

    • Com. Ogbu Alexander Ameh,

     Abuja

  • Photo: Impactful youths

    Photo: Impactful youths

    > L-R Standing: MI Abaga(Musician), Abiodun Akinyemi(Tourism Entrepreneur) Vincent Adukwu(LG Auditor), Agbo Titus adekole (Youth Footbal Coach) and Tolu Ogunlesi(Journalist) > Sitting: Taiwo Okunoren(Fashion), Mrs. Ore Lesi(Founder WTEC), Mrs. Omilola Osikoya(Public Speaker and Coach) Akinwunmi Ambode(Founder La Roche Leadership Foundation), Aekunbi Adeoye(Proprietress, Sesewa) Tosin Taiwo (Founder, Street to School Initiative) and Raquel Jacobs(Founder, Beyond the Classroom) at the Chosen Youth event organised by La Roche to celebrate the youths who had made positive impact on the society.
    > L-R Standing: MI Abaga(Musician), Abiodun Akinyemi(Tourism Entrepreneur) Vincent Adukwu(LG Auditor), Agbo Titus adekole (Youth Footbal Coach) and Tolu Ogunlesi(Journalist)
    > Sitting: Taiwo Okunoren(Fashion), Mrs. Ore Lesi(Founder WTEC), Mrs. Omilola Osikoya(Public Speaker and Coach) Akinwunmi Ambode(Founder La Roche Leadership Foundation), Aekunbi Adeoye(Proprietress, Sesewa) Tosin Taiwo (Founder, Street to School Initiative) and Raquel Jacobs(Founder, Beyond the Classroom) at the Chosen Youth event organised by La Roche to celebrate the youths who had made positive impact on the society.
  • Dabiri urges youths to save Nigeria

    Dabiri urges youths to save Nigeria

    House of Representatives member Hon. Abike Dabiri-Arewa has charged Nigerian youths to salvage the country from disintegration.

    Addressing reporters  at the grand reception in honour of the  FIFA 2014 Women Under 20 World Cup Most Valuable Player, Azeezat Oshoala, in Ikorodu, she said the youths have the potentials to move the country forward.

    She said : “The younger ones should stop saying they are leaders of tomorrow. I must say they are leaders of today. They have to rise up to the occasion to save the country.

    “The youths believe that the salvation of the country can only come later when they would take over from the present leaders, but I must say that impression is wrong. The  future is in what we do today.”

    The lawmaker explained that the country cannot overcome its present challenges without the youth’s involvement in its socio-political development.

    She said the performance of Oshoala at the youth women football tournament is a testimony that Nigerians were creative, noting that it was imperative to deploy the skills to rescue the country from its economic predicament.

    She said: “Today, there is deficit in leadership, security is out of place and there are many other problems facing the country. The situation calls for youth involvement in addressing the ills facing the country.”

    Dabiri-Arewa said the youths have been relegated for long, stressing that if the situation is not changed it would get out of hand.

    Also speaking, Oshoala said her performance at the tournament was due to her commitment and dedication to the game. She urged government to create the enabling ground for youths development.

    She thanked the lawmaker for organising the warm reception in her honour. Oshoala said: “I am proud of Ikorodu, Lagos State and Nigeria. I will continue to make myself available for the country and hopefully to wine more laurel for the country.”

  • How to get jobs for youths, by Lafarge chief

    How to get jobs for youths, by Lafarge chief

    The Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Wapco Cement company, Mr Joe Hudson, yesterday said companies could help reduce unemployment in the country gradually by creating avenues for the youths to undergo  apprenticeship training in technical skills.

    Hudson said such technical and vocational trainings would not only have equipped the trainees upon graduation with the relevant skills required by companies if they chose paid employment, but also make them to be self-employed as well as potential employers of labour in future.

    He said he had travelled to many countries of the world but found Nigerians to be quite unique and resilient  because of their “I – can – do – it – spirit.”

    Hudson spoke in Ewekoro, Ogun State, during  the graduation ceremony of a dozen youth as well as the inauguration of the 20 new intake  under the company’s Apprenticeship Training Scheme for Youths from Host Communities.

    The 12 graduands passed through 18 months intensive training in automation, instrumentation engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering at the Lafarge Wapco Apprenticeship Training Centre, Ewekoro.

    Hudson said there is so much potential in the youths and urged other companies to borrow a leaf from its initiative to “make Nigeria great.”

    He noted that the company decided to “resurrect and resuscitate” apprenticeship training for technical skills not only to give the youths hope but also to address the “mismatch” between the skills required by employers and that possessed by  the  job seekers.

    According to him, Lafarge had decided to absorb 75 percent of the technically trained youths while the others would be attached to permanent contractors working for the company.

  • VC rallies youths for growth

    The National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campus Committee, Oyo branch, has sworn in its elected leaders. The ceremony took place at the Conference Centre of the Polytechnic, Ibadan.

    A student-leader, Monsuru Adeyemo, described NANS as the only recognised association of students in Nigeria, adding that the association was an ideological structure with liberal fellows interested in charting new paths for the nation.

    In his address, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Isaac Adewole, who was  represented by Dean of Students, Prof Akinola Alada, said students constituted a vibrant population of the nation.

    He said youths’ lack of interest to contribute their quota to the development of Nigeria will spell doom for the nation.

    The guest lecturer, Prof Osisioma Nwolise of the Department of Political Science, spoke on: “The role of students, politicians and INEC: 2015 elections and challenges ahead.”

    On problems of insecurity, he said  parties’ lack of internal democracy and corruption constituted major challenges of the coming 2015 general elections.

    Prof Nwolise said students must play their role in public education, enlightenment and mobilisation of people to vote right.

    He advised politicians to engage in peaceful campaign devoid of thuggery, violence and assassinations, and  participate in public debate and produce party manifestoes. Nwolise stressed that INEC should do everything possible to ensure level playing field for all parties and contestants and maintain effective and efficient voters’ registration.

    The new leaders included Olanrenwaju Babatunde, Chairman; Niniola Toheeb, Vice-Chairman; Amzat Jamiu, General Secretary; Olatokun Joseph, Assistant General Secretary; Adedokun Sunday, Public Relations Officer; Oladepo Olatunde, Financial Secretary and Momodu Lucky, Treasurer.

    Present at the inauguration were Dean of Students, the Polytechnic Ibadan, Mr Bayo Oyeleke and students’ union presidents of tertiary institutions in Oyo State.

    The Special Adviser to Oyo State Government on Students Matter, Mr Bolaji Repete, congratulated the new executive.

    He praised student leaders in the state for not allowing themselves to be used by politicians for selfish interest.

  • Vote for right leaders, youths advised

    A non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Green White Green Ambassadors, has urged the youth to vote for the right candidates  in spite of their political parties

    It  also advised them to stay away from crises in the general elections which hold next year.

    At a briefing in Agege, Lagos, President of the NGO, Saheed Olanrewaju Alani, said: What we want is unity in our country, we want the youth to vote for the right candidates, right leaders so that the nation will be a better place to live and remain the giant of Africa.

    “The youth should stay away from crises in the election. Many of the leaders’ children are abroad; so when they come to you, tell them to use their own children and not you,” he said

    “Admitting to transformation, the possibility of catapulting our great nation to the next level is a collective responsibility of all, especially the youth who are usually the bedrock for transforming any society to the next level; and that is why we operate through the following watchword: identify, connect and achieve,” he said.

    The group’s Secretary-General, Tunde Ogidan, also stressed that the youth have a role to play in nation building.

    “We have identified our problems; yet all we keep doing is war.We don’t want war of break up but sustain our integration with the help of the youth. We don’t want our coming generations to say we caused their problem the same way we have always said.

    “If I have the opportunity of meeting President Jonathan today, I will charge him to re-orientate the people’s mindset on Nigeria with creative ideas and our institutions must work. It is about perfecting the areas that is faulty, we want our country shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the world,” he added.