OUR DEAR FATHERS...

I was not born in the sixties, but the history that was made in that period sometimes make me feel like am a part of an unfortunate generation. That was the era of profound and compelling politics. The times of the Azikiwes, the Awolowos, the Shonekans, the Macaulays, the Enahoros and so on and so forth. These were people who made such strong impacts on the average Nigerian. Even now, in our days and times, we still look up to them for inspiration. They continue to dominate the polity of Nigeria.It is only very unfortunate that some of the politicians we know today are only good for slinging stones. Mostly dishonest and of very little worth. It is even more unfortunate that in twenty years from now, we shall not have any politician from the generation before us, I mean this very present crop of rulers, worthy of such acolades. What we have now are green snakes under the proverbial green grass. It is a very sad reality. However, I see a light at the end of this dark tunnel. I stand here to say that I truly believe in my generation and that we have the solutions to Nigeria's problems. What we have in our generation are not too far from the days of old. The only difference between us and the people of the old is that technology has been involved in our activism. The prevalent practise amongst the new generation revelotionalists is to usually take to the social media to help voice thier grieviances against the government.Twitter in particular is the most effective especially considering how certain people have not failed to use it is a ready and quick weapon against both government agencies and 'other people' who are seen to be sympathizers of the government. A lot of people have become what we refer to as twitter celebrities today due to their gallant (while some are garrulous and dishonourable though),activities on the forum. Facebook was the original tool though but twitter has broken records in these recent times. We have the Omojuwa, the Mr Fix Nigeria, the JudgeIyke, the Melaye and a whole lot more that seem to elude my memory right now.The political scene in Nigeria these days have been greatly charged and battles are being waged by the youths, a fact that makes me proud. Unlike what my father says, the Nigerian youth today averagely has a fair idea of what the government is doing. We are beginning to get involved in the decision making of our nations. Most of the non governmental organisations tackling corruption and watching government activities in this country today are being run by the youths. These days, when I relate with certain people of my age group, I am always amazed at how much we seem to know. The Nigerian youth is innovative, hardworking, resillient and never accepts defeat. I have met quite a large number of young brilliant minds who are ready to change things. Unfortunately, our fathers are not just ready to let us have the steering wheels of the leadership of this country. It is amazing that in this age and time, a seventy year old man who should be giving sage advice to us is still clamouring for the office of the president. What can he possibly offer us? We are in the era of technology, and might I say that we are far far behind. Our leaders are evidently not in the know of this,which is why it is hard for them to profer modern day solution to the simplest of all problems that plague us on this country. How hard can it be to harmonize the curriculum in our primary and secondary schools, introduce the non academic skill acquisition programme they have been screaming about for God knows how long now in our educational institutions,curb the spate of insecurity and violence in the country, or even provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive? Nothing is working at all in this country right now. The sad part is that there was a time that things were actually excellent. The glofifying days of the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University have been since sunk into the abyss of history. The glorifying days of cocoa, groundnut and cotton far gone into extinction. I didn't meet these days and I am well into my twenties. I have said it and will continue to say it, that until every politician from the last forty years are pushed to the background or silenced in one way or the other, we shall never be free. How can we continue to put our fates into the hands of people who cannot guarantee that the people in Jos, Bornu, Kano and all those volatile northern states are safe? Corruption has even taken such a contented and executive form under this dispensation. We have even been declared byn the United Nations as a violent nation now due to the violent mass murder of over one hundred and eighty people in Borno this week. This is not my usual turf. I'd rather be writing a piece in the attack of men and the defence of the female folk or pouring out my heart on this page but right now, I burn with such passion and anger plus serious resentment against the rulers of this country. They need to quit if they cannot handle this anymore. Enough is enough!