ADULTS

I am severely worried. The reason is not far fetched. The problems of my dear Nigeria are becoming more evident day by day or is it that I care more than ever before (not sure which or should that be witch?)?. 

I attempt to pass knowledge across as a job (generally known as lecturing) and have been faced with an increasing ignorance in the students that come to me every year (sad but true), this is mainly because my students are at the tail end of the Professional course that I teach and should have knowledge as a prerequisite to some of what we should discuss but this is never the case. I therefore spend a huge chunk of the time I have for teaching them, reviewing what they ought to know (but dont). I was thinking about this early this morning and I came to the conclusion that the reason for this is that no premium is placed on education. The value attached to (their) education for my students seems to be - a favor to my parents who feel pride when I get them this degree-and here is where a lot of (Nigerian) parents do their children (kids?nah adults!) a dis-service! I have always had the idea that you dont value what you dont pay for and is always my reason for ensuring that anyone who needs my service pays for it, for I place a high premium on me and think I do something infinitely valuable. I therefore appreciate the American educational system with its access to education at a cost and yes! student loans because it helps (methinks) to force a measure of value on the students who receive this education and ensure they (will attempt to) utilize it for something tangible (again hopefully). 

At this point, I am forced to stop and consider also the age at which the responsibility of (and for) life is thrust on the Nigerian 'youth'. For many of them, adulthood is something they will never experience, they do not have to take up the mantle of deciding how their life should turn out-what to study, where to study, who to marry, when to marry, where to live, how many children to birth, what job to take, what car to buy and possibly, when and how to die ( I could have some fun with mixing all that up, but being good today!). No! They have parents for that! They are born, to be served by those responsible for (the crime) of birthing them and inflict on the children they will have, the lack of responsibility that is their personality. That is another reason why Nigeria IS experiencing problems! The ones in their prime are not allowed responsibility because the ones who are past their prime are still too busy discovering responsibility! Its an aberration, people! Adulthood begins in your teens! At the very latest, in your twenties! Past that and you are not just a late bloomer, you need shock tactics to make it happen or Nigerian style, your head washed in a flowing river! 

The people who should be in control of the resources of our nation (almost said polity-an overused Nigerian political term!) should be the youth but oh no! their parents are busy preening at being called upon to be the messiahs of our collectivism. Sigh! I wish! How I wish! Even the bible talks about strength of youth and I read that to mean in every sense, physically, emotionally, financially,politically and in every other -ally.

Its utterly disgusting watching 50-something year old people and older begging surreptitiously for government jobs and giving up the traditional and time-honored roles of building up the youth and giving them a chance at life. It stinks and is the reason every decision these geriatrics make stinks and can not remedy the ills of our society. Calling on the true youth of this nation, get in the faces of these people who will not allow you do the right thing for our nation and tell them to go home and raise the new generation of leaders by leading PRIVATE lives worthy of emulation. I will not even begin to do the moral walk that makes nonsense of each and everyone of them but thats a fact of political life, not ideal but it is what it is. I am saddened that some of the names of governance in my childhood still feature in active governance, why? Is there a scarcity of people or is it that these people just dont know when to leave the stage (considering they elicit no ovation?)? I am sick of it and it makes me just want to puke all over the sad sorry ......people masquerading as saviours of our polity!