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By Ozioma Onyenweaku
Just recently Nigeria witnessed an unexpected (or was it long expected?) protest from youths over police brutality and a whole lot of other ills. The protest was hijacked by another set of angry youths who were not versed in proper channeling of grievances. These are the ones referred to as ‘hoodlums’. This resulted in grave destruction of public and private properties within the country more particularly in Lagos. In the process, COVID-19 palliatives meant to be distributed to the masses were discovered hidden away from the poor masses. Some of the items had already gone bad as a result of, most probably, long and poor storage.
The protest, the discovery of the hidden palliatives as well as the destruction of properties were not hidden from the public and the international community as well. Many thanks to the social media.
All these came just as the nation was coming out of lockdown and the attendant collapse of economic activities as a result of COVID-19.
I strongly condemn the wanton destruction of public and private properties. It simply does not make sense. Why drag the already ailing economy several steps back in your anger? That was a wrong move definitely.
I equally admit that the adults have failed the young ones, the youths. It is only when adults act well their part, and discharge their obligations to the young ones and attend to their needs that they can with all moral conscience ask the young ones, “why are you behaving the way you do?”
X-raying our system, we are under obligation to admit that the system has not been giving a fair deal to the young ones, and everyone else. Have we stopped for once to ask ourselves why is there high rate of drug abuse among our youths and children? The statistics of drug abuse in Nigeria 2019 shows that 14.3 million people aged 15 – 64 used psycho active substance for non-medical purposes. Looking at the system, is there any doubt that our youths are running steadily to drugs for succour; to fight off the frustration of not being able to achieve and live their dreams in their fatherland?
That brings me to the statements from Mrs Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, Honourable member representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1 in Lagos State House of Assembly. Responding to the looting and destruction of properties that happened in Lagos, the lawmaker said most of our youths are high on drugs all the time. She said that she schooled in United Kingdom and the unemployed youths there were not hoodlums. By the way, is there any common ground for the comparison of Nigeria and the United Kingdom? Is it the UK’s social welfare system for the unemployed and the elderly, the schools that are world class, the hospitals that are well equipped, the security, and the infrastructures that enable entrepreneurship, or the government’s transparency, accountability and commitment to protection of lives and property?
Will United Kingdom hoard palliatives in the midst of abject poverty and hunger? I still recall that the first warehouse that was discovered hoarding COVID-19 palliatives is located at Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos State; within a locality that has many poor people as residents. Will United Kingdom government officials do that to their citizens?
In proffering solution, Mrs Alli-Macaulay called on the National Orientation Agency to live up to its responsibilities to change the attitude of the youths.
“The National Orientation Agency needs to get to work. We need people to talk to them from time to time. They are high on drugs all the time, most of them. They go to social media and say all sorts of things.… unemployment should not be an excuse for looting, there is unemployment across the world even in United States. I schooled in the UK and I saw a lot of young people who were not employed but they didn’t become hoodlums. Why can’t we look inwards and look for solutions to our problems …?
Good point on the need to look inward for solution and the change of attitude. It has to start with the leaders. Let them look inwards and discover how they have contributed to the problems on ground. what we put inside the system is what we get out.
It is very clear that there is a lot of pain, frustration, insecurity, and hunger in the country. Those must be addressed to make head way. Let’s all act well our parts now while we look to God for the ultimate and lasting solution.