Like the young Mrs Toyosi usually say, our problem is actually not youth unemployment, but “employability” of our youth, when many of our youths haven gone through the four walls of a higher institution but cannot rationalise his or her environment, cannot use intuition to fix things, they are not creative, they are politically ignorant, doesn’t understand the implication of not getting involved in governance. All these are not actually the fault of this graduate, the education system in the country and the quality of education here is very poor and cannot make a total man.

This is the reason why It seems like the more educated we are, the more politically unaware we become. Because with all the knowledge we have acquired in school, we still act like people who don’t have awareness, we see no reason to participate in politics, we hear things like “E No Concern Me”, “Who Politics Help”, “Politics is a dirty game” and all those unintelligent talk.

Our society has programmed us to think in a certain way which is referred to as the “Normal Life” of just going to primary school, secondary school, go to university, graduate, get a job, get married, have children, get promoted, retire and die, what a “Normal Life”

But life is much more than this, one ought to think and act on how to improve the lives around them, impact the society positively. Just like as we met a better world of ease of doing things, our future generation expect to meet even a better one, It’s the responsibility we owe the next generation. The truth is, if we don’t change our mind-sets as enlightened people we will continue to have the worse of us, rule over the rest and the best of us, we will continue to grapple with all problems and challenges as little as clean drinking water, healthcare etc. in this country.

We may not know this, as much as we (youths) are the solution to the leadership problem in our country; we are also the biggest victims of poor leadership. I mean those of us who do not carry arms, law abiding, don’t do drugs, educated, committed religiously, “Good Youths” in summary, we are of a truth, the worst hit by the incompetency of our leaders.

In the sense that we may have laboured to go through the rigorous experience and training of tertiary institutions, invested so much money in educating ourselves, we are still the ones who suffer unemployment, underemployment, hunger, poverty, delayed in settling down, frustration, etc.

On the other hand, the not very educated, and uneducated who make trouble, do drugs, carry arms, become militants, kidnappers, touts etc. the irony is its these guys that get all the attention from the government, they get political patronage, get amnesty packages, get paid monthly for doing nothing order than causing troubles and most times they even become community, local and state leaders.

The result of this, is what we are witnessing today in Nigeria (a near failed state), it’s also as a result of we the “Good Guys” not getting involved, getting too comfortable with the “Normal Life”

As Good Youths, If we can galvanise, educate and organise ourselves to start changing the narrative, it will not only be better for us but better for all Nigerians and the future generations to come.

We are therefore appealing to the conscience of all our enlighten men and women, young and old, to rise up to the occasion, let’s do our bits by getting involved, as Mahatma Gandhi said, Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.

God Bless the Awakened Youths.

God Bless Nigeria.

Enawore Erumura David

(Convener Youth Awakening Movement)