The first time I was very excited for Nigeria was when Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was elected the president of Nigeria in the year 2010. Someone may Wonder why I was excited about him becoming the president? I saw hope for Nigeria in him. I thought since he was not from the political lineage that had taken the nation for a ride, he would understand the plight of the common man and make policies and put structures in place that would benefit the common man and place Nigeria on the path to greatness.
But his performance made me lose hope the more for our nation Nigeria. Then when Buhari came 2015, I thought that since he was once a military head of state, he would know what should be done to put Nigeria back on the track of greatness. But with happenings around the country and the sort of irresponsible comments that the buhari government had made about Nigerians and Nigerian youth, it's becoming clearer each day that the future of Nigeria is in the hands of her youth.
But it seems the youth are not prepared for the take over. With the rate at which a lot of the youths put themselves at the mercy of the politicians and allow themselves to be used for just a crumb of bread, make me feel like most of the youth are not yet prepared for the take over.
This prompted me to put together this piece in the form of a poem to call them - the Nigerian Youths to order and make them have a rethink. Hope you get the message from this poem.
A CALL TO THE NIGERIAN YOUTH(poem)
Nigerian youths, where have you been all these years with no trace of your existence? What has held you down all these years that no one could even hear your struggle or cry for help? Has your situation been this critical that the only job and position you are qualified for is thuggery? Or are you that desperate that you don’t even mind mortgaging your promising future for a drop of palm wine that can never quench your enormous taste? Nigerian youths, why must we continue to enslave ourselves to those same people that think we are not even smart enough to rule our own lives? Are we that dumb?
They keep telling us that we are the future of the nation, but always want us to be at their mercy. They keep telling us that we are the strength and pride of the nation, but are always very quick to call us irresponsible at the slimmest opportunity. In fact, they have been calling us these names because we let them define who we are and what we should be getting. I think it’s time we let them know who we really are. I think it’s time we make them give to us what is rightfully ours.
Nigerian youths, do you know that you are truly the hope and future of Nigeria? Do you know that you are the strength of this nation and it’s only hope for survival and greatness? Do you know that you’ve been taken for granted all this while because you’re not united? Do you know that if you can come together with one mind and heart, no one or force can be able to withstand you? Do you know that you’re one of the most hard working youths in the world that can make something out of nothing? Do you know that you only have what it takes to take this nation to the promise land? Do you know that you can truly decide on how you want to be governed? Do you know that you have all it takes to take this nation Nigeria to the next level?
Nigerian youths, they’ll never give you what you truly deserve, so you have to take it because it’s yours in the first place. I'm using this medium to call on you, Nigerian youths today. wake up! Liberate yourself. Believe in yourself! Take hold of your life, and charge your course! Have faith in yourself and fight for yourself! Because you are the Nigeria everyone talks about. Nigerian youths, you are truly the future, so let’s make our future (Nigeria) what we want it to be.
Written by John Odudu
Please don't forget to upvote, comment and resteem should you find this poem interesting. Thanks for stopping by.