Campus Express Newspaper Apr. 2014 | Page 5

April,2014 EDITORIAL CampusExpress....Empowering the youth through information 5 Love, Sex, Entertainment and the Misleading of the Youthful Mind... What next? Ibrahim-Ballo Taye Ozigi & Durosinmi-Etti Tobi It is no doubt something of prestige to be in one of the leading higher institutions in the nation, the rigour of writing exams and screening one goes through, but once in, it so happens people (the youth) tend to forget what actually we are there for, for some reason we are satiated with the wrong idea, the idea that would sadly haunt our future. The ideology of university these days is one that remains still a mystery to me from whence its roots came, don't the youth see their predecessors?, haven't they at least heard of them?, the likes of Akintunde Ojo, and students during his time nation wide who stopped at nothing to make sure their right was given to them and they haven't been cheated? Woe to this generation of youths who measure worth by the amount of vanity which one can amass not minding if its legal or not, we have brought to ourselves nothing but disrespect and dishonour, are we not ready yet to redeem ourselves, are we going to continue basking in mindless fornication and wild partying night after night? Internet fraud (yahoo yahoo) is now a norm in the society amongst youths, its become so rampant we are known to the international world to be fraudsters, it doesn't end there, some even take this to be their 'full time job'. When would we realise a whole world is out there waiting for us, when would we realise the nation needs us, when would we realise we have tarred for too long, have slumbered like little monsters, when do we realise its time to grow up. After myriads of situations plaguing the nation, the one people which it is affecting and would affect still to come are the one people who seem to be mindless the most about it, the ones who have barricaded the thought from their minds. They would rather be of them who go about with promiscuous activities, but do they stop to think for once, 'after all of this what next'? Do they stop to think for once, 'aren't I buying my future with my nonchalance'? It is saddening when the youths these days expect a miracle to happen to the country's situation, even more saddening when most don't even know what's happening, and most saddening when just about all don't even want to talk about it, the little who then do get stereotyped which till this day baffles me, the only political talk that seem to interest all youths is 'when I get there I'll eat money too', the future of Nigeria as it is. One would think coming to the higher institution, finally he would meet people like he, but no, one thought wrong, it seems to be higher institution means free ticket to sex and booze and frivolousness, its fine if you do all of this but how do you become a part of what you don't know, how do you become a part of a future you're a stranger to? It would never end this cycle, always it would remain the same, from the cabal of these "leaders" would spring a ruler, and who says these traits aren't passed, take a look at the Kuti family where all of the children are arguably activists thanks to their Father Fela Anikulakpo who fought for the then Nigeria against the military regime, how our parents were scared of them but with his music he held back not and criticised them of their wrongs. Why can't we be more like Fela the greatest Africa musician that ever lived and with his vociferous ways affect those around him including his childhood mate Wole Shoyinka yes, act of valour could be contagious, why can't we be the voice of the people, why can't we be the courage born in fear and the strength born in weakness, why can't we be the messiah's of Nigeria? How about the Bankole family where the father was corrupt and then the son even with his degree of education wasn't so far from his father traits, who then says these can't be hereditary? And we the youth, when a little bone is thrown to our lap, we rush it like a street dog, we are satisfied with just about anything we are given, never complain, the perfect zombies for politicians, is it an act of fear, or are we just insouciant? Look at the current fuel hike which in the real sense has been increased for no just cause where is our voice?, have we been oppressed so much our voice have been strained so it makes no audible sound no more? I am more critical of the youth for our parents have lived this way and as we all can see it has worked for the worse for them, are we going to continue with their way too?, well I for one plan not to live that way, but it is not a change only one can make, it would only be an effort laid to waste. Have you seen the ongoing national CONFAB, have you seen how poorly the youths are represented? The representatives of the youths aren't so youthful are they, well that is only because we the youths haven't fought to represent ourselves and for that we've been left out and allowed our future to be determined by a lot of men who wouldn't even be there and until we change our view and are more concerned at least for our welfare it would remain like this for a (long) while. Aren't we supposed to be more concerned about this than the amount of girlfriends someone has more than us, aren't we supposed to sit and be more brave and fight for our right from this tyrannical government? Surely we are doing wrong to no other but ourselves. The national CONFAB is almost laughable, have you seen the representatives?, there are amongst them the celebrated thieves Maina the pension thief, Bode George the NPA thief and Alamieyeseigha who guised himself as a woman to flee the country, our very own states man acting like the movie character James Bond. Still, it wouldn't be fair on the path of delegates who have shown commendable acts, who at least show their loyalty to the country giving away their royalty to the public, the likes of Tunde Bakare, although still there's no reason why people have to be paid to help a nation move forward, it doesn't make any sense, people who destroyed it in the first