And the youth say ‘We Are Frustrated’

The roundtable started as a newsstand argument between some 'street boys' before retiring to a tree shade at Ogba Bus stop in Lagos, Ayodele Samuel who witness the scenes reports.     Sunday 12th of August was a day set aside by the United Nations as International Youth Day, to many young people it's just another jamboree but in Ogba it turned out to be revelation of frustration. While commenting on the news at the free readers stand, Ayokunle Oloye walked into the group of young men and the unplanned debate about corruption and state of the Nation got started amidst noise and counter arguments. Taking turns to express their frustration at the level of corruption in our country, the meeting became more rowdy as time passed until the vendor suggested a free Taxi Park behind as venue for us to continue our meeting. The youth, attributed the closure of many manufacturing industries in the country to growing insecurities saying an idle hands will remains the devil workshops. "if there's no work for us to do we will take up to crime, many of us here are graduates with BSC, HND but we are veteran Okada riders, we are here shouting, nothing will change if this government does not provide jobs," one of the discussant said.   Many others expressed sadness over the way the country was being run, saying that their future was being toyed with. Drawing attention to the theme of the 2012 International Youth Day,, "Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth" Oloye suggested that a movement should be convene from the meeting called "The Frustrated Nigerian Youths". The spectators appointed Oloye who was trying to coordinate the process as the convener, and Mr. Paul Mbagwu, as Co-ordinator, suggesting that the debate should be taken to social networks (Facbook)  after which the youths said the future of the nation was bleak. In a declaration issued after the meeting signed by more than 50 youths who register with the newly created movement, said "The youths, the hope and future of the nation, are living a frustrated life which is evident in our day to day activities, the conditions the Nigerian Youths are subjected to in their own country where milk and honey flows unabated to the coffers of their ruling class is degrading, demeaning and appalling!" The declaration reads in part: We have the resources but our wasteful leaders and government has continue to plundered our future into irreparable states, playing politics at our detriment, We are rejecting this. Our education system has completely crumbled and has become a disaster, churning our graduates who realize they do not fit into the scheme of national building, and are a shadow of what the classes attended make of them.  More than 50 million of us remain jobless because our manufacturing industries have closed shop due to bad business environment orchestrated by those whom we regularly entrust our lives and resources to. Out of frustration our youths have taken to crime in the society; more hopelessly hundreds of our youths are committing suicide on a daily basis, engaging in detrimental ventures in a quest to fill up the gaps created by a system that has refused to attend to their basic needs. The sad part is that corruption has eaten deep into the very fabric of the society. It is in the homes, the schools, the offices - everywhere. We are thieves in some way best known to each of us. Integrity and honesty are rare commodities in these part of the continent. Several of us already have the predisposition to also enrich ourselves if, by chance, we get into an elective office or some parastatal or agency. Good roads are not PRIVILEGES, they're our rights! Good education, good health care delivery systems, decent accommodations, pipe borne water - all these are rights! Government is obligated to provide them!" It would be fair enough to say we don't have a government because, you generate your own electricity, buy your own water, you are your own security, etc.  A lot of Nigerian Youths have lost every sense of decency. They have become as barbarians, quite unconscionable and in plain terms, wicked! The national psyche has been battered so hard by decades of rapacious leadership, government and deprivation that we have now turned on ourselves, rather than on our oppressors, and are now devouring ourselves like wild beasts. There's no such thing as free freedom. If we do not pay the price for freedom today, we will all leave the task to our children and God forbid that they do not loathe and curse the memory of very existence when they view places like South-Africa where their  forebears fought and won freedom from repressive elements for the enjoyment of generations yet unborn." The youths however affirm that, "No matter what is going on in Nigeria, there is hope! We have raised our hope and we are working to build a Nigeria of our own; a government where the people's interest will prevail the interest of our selfish political and economy leaders." The newly created group said talks will been initiated with uneducated, educated, political expose and local traders across the country on the need to stand for good governance. The group in its demand urge Federal Government  to brace up and bring a lasting solution to the state of insecurity and an end to Boko Haram insurgency . The group also calls youth involvement in policy and decision making process in  Nigeria.