A Salient Note To Nigerian Youths In Such A Time As This

By Odunayo Oluwatimilehin Oyewole

It is more of a fact than a statement that COVID-19 pandemic is a reality in Nigeria. With the daily rise in figure of confirmed cases in Nigeria, I find it necessary to pen down my thoughts for the reading of vibrants, agile, skillful, artistic, articulate, and promising Nigeria youths.

I wish to get the attention of those who make themselves ready tools of terror, destruction, vandalism, kidnapping, and manipulations to the political moguls during electioneering period. Who unashamedly sell their future and conscience for a piece of cake without a second thought.

Months ago, the Nigerian border was closed against importation of rice, the masses were forced to patronize the stone garnished local rice known as ‘Nigerian Rice’. Few months later came the COVID-19, we expected the Nigerian Government to take a proactive measure of banning foreign flights from entering the country as they vehemently stood against closure of border to imported rice but the reverse was the case. The time lag it took them to decide whether or not to stop foreign flights enabled their children and other notable elites who are outside the country to come in, hence they endangered and exposed others to the COVID-19 pandemic that has no case record in Nigeria. What a selfish motive!

An average Nigerian does not have access to quality health care service, while those who employ you for nefarious activities have the means to fly out of the country for quality medical check-up’s and treatments at the lightest feeling of illness.

COVID-19 exposed the stark debilitating reality of Nigerian hospitals, few hospitals have ventilators, while others don’t have at all. The few available ones could not cater for the rising number of infected person’s within the country.

The COVID-19 testing kits donated by the Chinese Philanthropist, Jack Ma, are being used for politicians and their families, while the masses are being left to their fates. What a country!

The Nigerian educational system, most especially, the Federal Universities, where an average Nigerian parents could manage to send their children is at the brink of collapsing, little or no attention is being taken by the government to salvage it from shattering into extinction. Sadly, Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) strike, has become a yearly anniversary for both students and lecturer’s in Nigeria as a result of unmet conditions between the ASUU and the Federal Government.

Students bear a large chunk of the brunt, as those who are meant to graduate within 4years end up wasting 2-3years extra. While the children of those who employ you as machinery for snatching ballot boxes have access to globalized quality education in well organized and developed Western countries. Hope I’m making sense?

A Nigerian Senator’s monthly running cost is #13.5million, including monthly salary of #750,000 while implementation of #30,000 minimum wage bacame an Herculean task.

Dear fellow Nigerian youths, how long shall we allow leaders who have no plans for us to continue to make us instrument of political thuggery and disruption at the detriment of our bright and promising future.

I raise a Clarion call for us to wake up from our slumbers. The future is ours, if only we are ready!

#COVID-19
#IAmAConcernedNigerianYouth
#SayNoToYouthExploitation
#IAmMega~Timmy

~ Odunayo Oluwatimilehin, OYEWOLE
A Postgraduate student, University of Ibadan