By ORIYOMI TIJANI A.
OVER the years youth in a certain country plays significant role in the decision making of that particular country that is, youths have a say in the political economical and social change development and stability of a country which is why the adage says that train a child and build a nation because it is presumed that the youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
The scenario is also the same in Nigeria, the only problem associated with that of the country (Nigeria). Is that the way the youths are being used or better said the way they allow themselves to be used is the focus of this write up.
There are two major categories of youths in Nigeria and they are classified by their involvement in the political activities and their participations before, during and after the elections.
The first category of the youths are the ones used for the smooth running of the electoral process those whom the body that is saddled with the responsibility of carrying out all elections related activities used in getting their jobs done and they are fresh graduates who are within their service year otherwise known as the National Youths Services Corps members (NYSC) which is why the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has been in partnership-with for over four years now to see that these youth contributing their own quota to the success of the elections
The commission however to things in place by training the corps members on the electoral process, just last week INEC officials nationwide emback on a one day training programme for all corps members serving in all the states in the country on how to distribute the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC( in exchange for the old Temporary Voters Cards (TVC)
Some of the corps members are still on training as we speak because they are saddled with the responsibilities of continuous voters registration which is scheduled for November12 2014 and are also to prepare their minds towards the forth coming elections slated for February 14 2015.
The second category of the youth are the ones who these write up is focused on because they are the those who because of one reason or the other allow themselves to be used by politicians and political parties as instruments of destruction they go by the name area boys, hoodlums or thugs.
Thuggery as defined by the advanced leaner dictionary as a process of acting violently especially in the area of crime.
Political thuggery can be defined as the illegal means of seeking political power while political violence is seen as the illegitimate and unauthorized use of force to influence decision against the desire or will of the people.
These are the set of youths who will go to any length to a-certain that their political godfathers have their way in the elections through the use of force to influence voters decision.
They go as far as brutalizing and at times kill the political opponent of their godfathers in other to ensure that power and authority is bestowed on those who had sent them to carry out the devilish act, the question to be asked is if these set of people do not have thing to do or that the growth and development of the country is not their concern?
The answers to these questions are not farfetched, most of these youths who are used by these politicians for political hooliganism and violence are those who can hardly eat three square meals per day without begging or forcefully collecting from those who are at their mercy and those in these category are traders and market women who mostly see these set of people as the ones maintain law and other when the police and other law enforcement agencies are nowhere to be found.
Though among those who do these dirty works are some learned ones who actually went to school but ended up becoming a member of a secret cult and because of the power they seem to have pass through the illegal possession of illegal arms, ammunitions, mystical and fetish powers becomes aids to this so called political Godfathers.
Most of which has made their money through looting of government funds from the various offices they hold or has held as the case may be and some through affiliation with those of them whom they have helped into political offices through their thugs and hoodlums.
They don’t seem to care if those they use to get to their power place end up dead all they care about is to see themselves or their candidate in the office and after that is done they make those thugs their personal aid and body guards
They might as well put them in office meant for the serious minded educated graduates who knows how to do the job well will fit in but they give it to the hoodlums in other to keep them closer in case of other assignments and the person who ought to be doing such jobs ends up on the streets because their places have been filled by the hoodlums.
The implications of these to the society is of grave concern because if the so called youth of today who are meant to be future leaders are the presents hoodlums of today then I wonder the type of leaders the country will produce when the time comes.
So this piece is aimed at telling those youths to watch their ways because an election is around the corner and this is the time for them to set their head straight and work for the betterment of this country because at the end it affects them more than they expect some of them have younger ones at school who will eventually graduates and needs to get a job and it is that time that it will struck them that they have sold out their future and that of their younger ones
And it means they have not only failed themselves but they have failed their people and generations to come will never forgive them for having sold them out and having exchanged their mandate and future for those that cannot offer them anything than eternal destruction.
This is a change and an opportunity for them to think twice about their future for generations to come will remember them and give them what they deserve either to pray for them or to course them for having mismanaged their future for a token.
So this is a call on all those who wants to use this forth coming elections as a way to get themselves hooked to a political godfather to be used continuously as a devil tool to take caution, because the prayers of the youths who have graduated for years and are still struggling to make ends means without doing anything bad is to see that person that will deliver the country from the chains of unemployment and lack of simple social amenities for the masses will be answered.
Either they like it or not this forth coming election will be free fair and credible and the faith of the hoodlums will be in the hands of God
On a final note this is an advice for the youths in general do not sell your future for it is whatever you do today that if not your children will get in the nearest future because if care is not taken you would be surprised that they will from today destroy the lives of the children that will come of tomorrow as it is said a word is enough for the wise.
