Some say it’s money that rules the world and use it as an excuse to worship the currency that acquires the material things they desire and not God. In my local language, many will say ” money na Natin…”. Others will say, “Na lie, money na something”. It is what has disclosed the true identity of many and given relevance to a lot of nations. It is what has taken the life of too many people and at the same time kept many alive. Money, it makes and destroys. It heals and at the same time kills. It lifts some and demotes others. Money is powerful, underestimate its ability and you die wallowing in disbelief. Money is the only Field Marshall in the Economics Military and the simplest cure to poverty. Money enthrones and dethrones. Money can do anything. Yes, Money buys even respect. What else will explain an uneducated millionaire giving instructions to PhD holders and professors? Agreed, Money will always be needed, but money is not everything. This, as unrealistic as it may seems to many especially the youths, is the truth. We as a generation have given too much relevance and significance to money that we forget so many things money will never be able to give us such as, Manners, Truth, Free Will, Integrity, Credibility, Salvation and Everlasting Happiness. As powerful as money is, in the face of these few adversaries, it bows. So now you have been given some money, what’s the message? You want more. Men who run after only money and greed were birthed on the same day on the altar of national destruction and the table of perpetual selfishness. The lust for Money is the reason why many are poor even when they may seem to have too much of it. Money has never changed its identity; only changes its victims.
Politics is money and if you are broke, you will only be a tool in the hands of the rich. If you are poor, avoid it. It will only make you into the monster that you once dreaded. Examples abound. Politics has made few heroes and too many celebrated villains than one can imagine. At the beginning, they have the right attitude and the message. Messages of equality. Messages of unlimited opportunities and possibilities. Messages of providing basic amenities and guaranteeing a freedom that will never exist. What has politics done to us? We forget so easily. We forget that in the time of our greatest need we are each other’s keeper. We forget that during those anxious moments before the announcement of those highly anticipatory results we all hold our faith in unison. Praying for that magical moment, when power will be given to that right person. We are always so optimistic that the best will come. We are always so hopeful of a bright and prosperous future. Which begs the question, what happened to us? Many times we are let down. Many times we go back into our silent corners and shed tears of frustration. Tears of regret. Many feel intimidated. Now we are all afraid. What Future? What Hope? What Expectations? The Politics of now for the youths carries only broken promises. A halfhearted attempt at getting us into the big picture. What it carries is a price tag. What it carries is a contract. You get paid to be part of a rally. You get paid in cash and in kind …”Le20,000 en one polo”. You get paid with alcohol and “tie”. You get paid with “ashobi” and “awujoh dishes”. Doesn’t matter the nature of the payment, many Youths get paid. In return, they don’t ask questions. Being critical becomes not only a taboo, but it then becomes more of a betrayal. No sense of direction, a lost focus and a lost cause. I pray against being a lost generation. As a result, instead of being the most productive and progressive force of our population and get a very big SAY on national issues, we are mere skeletons of our active selves compared to the energies demonstrated during campaign periods. Alas, when those who have been most active get crumbs, they feed their compatriots with dung. The politics of backstabbing and kowtowing and politics of currying favour from elders by only destroying the good name of well-meaning others becomes the inheritance of the few lucky ones. Politics of “Kongosa and badheart”, Politics of “Sunkor Sunkor” and “janfa”. I ask, what future? Every young man with his political godfather, not for the benefit of his fellow youths nor for the benefit of the country, but for the benefit of that individual. That’s why their eyes are always shut because they never want to wake up from their dreams. That’s why few individuals will always come up with the most preposterous political notions that can only be celebrated by morons. Yes. Few greedy and ignorant ones. “Ar dae pinch u en u nor wan wake enti”?
Need I say that the Youths are the backbone and strength of any nation? They are the force. They win elections. They are the fighters. They are also the “misused and abused”. They are the greatest victims. They suffer the most after elections and are highest beneficiaries of unemployment, yet most youths as conscious as they are remain blind. As active as many are they remain misguided and misdirected. What Future? The 70 year old man was once a youth. Today, most of them expect youths to live the way they did some three to four decades ago and someone hasn’t reminded them that this is the twenty first century. “Mek some of d papay dem wake up”!! Politics of manipulation, what Legacy is there to leave? This is the Internet age where information dissemination is at the click of a single button, our world is different. There is always a ceiling and young people have been given too many unnatural limitations. Good only for the dirty jobs. Good only for the streets where old and tired legs won’t dare. Good only for infighting amongst themselves whilst the real strategies will always lie with the “masters”. The older ones continue to wrong us. Greatly. All we do is to compliment those attempts into further dividing us. Truth is, youths are so powerful that they are afraid of us. Ever asked why?
I am a 35 year old man and that boy from Daru who has never lived outside his country for more than a year. A proud citizen of only this nation. Just one Salone. I plead with you to open your eyes. We have young talented and inspirational figures who have competed on the global stage yet fail woefully to impact their nation and are governed by their own inferiors. It is not impossible to have youths who are “colour blind” to both green and red. Youths who will irrespective of political allegiances form an alliance for the progress of our nation. Everyone is shouting at the top of their voices and nobody is being heard. What should have been a voice to reckon with has now degenerated to nothing but childish babbling. Do we really want to say that getting involved in positive things is a such a big deal that it is only left to aged men to handle? Do we really want to say that being in our most productive age we still cannot become masters but remain as apprentices for the longest time and an indeterminate period? Can’t we unite and focus on nothing but building a future? One that will see our children look on us like Mandela and our grandchildren celebrate us like Martin Luther King Jnr. All it takes is sacrifice. Again I ask, what Future? Do we want to look back and have memories of only dancing on the streets for people who will later only consider that as our most valued role? Do we want to treat others as the real enemy when the only enemy we have is our very selves? We can’t even work together, needless to say protect each other. Again I ask, what Future? Can you define yours?
