YOUNG PEOPLE OF NIGERIA ARISE!

I want to take this time to talk to the young people of Nigeria, especially the youth. We have allowed ourselves to be used and most times misused. We are hypnotized and deceived into fighting ourselves for nothing. Where and what we have directed our weapons at are not the causes of our problems. I have earlier pointed out that political and religious problems are not directly caused by Satan, but by selfish men and women (some political and religious leaders) who make a fortune or gain (wealth, fame, and power) from it. The problem we have in our nation is not the youth of various tribes of the nation (southern, eastern, or northern youths). It is not traders, market, or business youths, men and women who are in another state rather than their state within the nation. These people are assets to the economic development of our nation. Though they raise money in the state where they are residing to take care of their family, yet they in many ways add immensely to the economic and infrastructural development of the state in particular and the nation as a whole. Hence, allowing ourselves to be deceived into fighting ourselves, burning markets in our land (state) because it belongs to people of other tribes though still part of the nation, and burning churches and mosques on our soil because they belong to people of other tribes, is allowing ourselves to be fooled, put in a state of stupidity and to act or appear as unlearned illiterates. This is because the market adds immensely to the economic and infrastructural development and beauty of our land or state. Our children buy, sell, and eat from there, the tax or revenue paid by the market operators, shops, or business owners goes into our state purse for other developments. Therefore, destroying it in any way is not just hurting the business owners, but it is also hurting ourselves by causing economic and infrastructural setbacks in our (own) state. Burning churches or mosques is simply destroying the infrastructural beauty of our land or state. The youth of our various tribes, businessmen, women, traders, and common people are not our problem, but our problem is so many selfish political and religious leaders who have hidden under politics or religion to cause division, hatred, rancor, violence and even tribal war and killing to gain wealth, fame and power. Instead of directing our weapons in the wrong direction, fighting ourselves, and burning markets, churches, and mosques which are pulling down the progress, growth, development, unity, and togetherness of the young people in particular and the nation as a whole, we should rather channel our weapons and grievances at these selfish political and religious leaders who use the future, destiny, and lives of the young people for gambling, political and religious games. This we can do by not allowing ourselves to be used anymore.

It is important once again to impact our young minds, full of strength that peace and unity of our nation Nigeria is of paramount importance. We are not short of the contemporary development of rancor, disagreement, and sociopolitical and religious crises that are going on in our beloved country today. This is reviving the spirit of division, segregation, and disunity in our nation, which may result in another brutal civil war if adequate and precautionary measures are not taken. If this should result in a further and more obvious crisis, it is mostly we the young people that will be affected. Our education, career, and destiny will be in jeopardy. Therefore, we should not give in to the seemingly plausible and fascinating but misleading and deceptive speech of some of our political and religious leaders who work for the division and the downfall of the peace and togetherness of Nigeria for their selfish interest and gain, even if they are our parents. We must stand out as young people of the nation Nigeria and refuse our heads to be brainwashed and used anymore. They tell us that we are cowards if we fail to act violently by fighting and killing one another and destroying our property. But I tell you that a brave man prevents a war from happening, rather restores and sustains peace and unity in the land. I tell you the truth, they do not motivate us into violence that may lead to war because they really care about us. Not because they really feel our pain, hunger, poverty, lack, insecurity, and unemployment, no. They motivate us into violence because they make fortunes from such. That is how they gain popularity, wealth, and power. To them, we are just the means to achieve the above and as such, our lives are turned into and used for game politics.

As young people, they will like to deceive us and will try to convince us with sweet and deceptive words to join their selfish and in-humanitarian groups in order to turn us into violent and havoc-causing agents against our (own) nation and people, if possible with guns. Note, if war breaks out, they will not be at the war front with us, and neither will their children. Rather, they will fly out of the country with their families to any nearest country without war and will leave us and our future in jeopardy. We must also remember that while causing havoc in our soil (state) over the people of other tribes, our soilogical (people of the same soil, place, tribe, or land as us) brothers and sisters are in another man's soil and the same measure will be mounted on them. Hence, if we really love our people and fight for and protect their interests, then we will not perpetrate wickedness and violent acts on people of other tribes living on our soil. We must "Strive" to understand and accept the fact that we are still Nigerians, one people who should be one great nation. In one of my books (yet to be published), titled "Nigeria Made Easy," I have been able to trash out the problems of our nation, possible solutions to the problems, and ways of making Nigeria easy for all tribes, leaders, and the lead. I am not a politician and do not have an interest to enter into politics, however, I am one of those who are concerned with the political, religious, economic, and social lives, progress, and unity of my nation Nigeria. I, therefore, suggest that young people who have an interest in/for politics with good intentions for the young people, who will really fight legally for the marginalization of the young people in Nigeria and sincerely fight legally for their interests should establish and register Young Peoples' Political Party" even in the midst of patron-clientelism system in the nation. This party can only accept people from the age bracket of 18 to 45 years to contest for any political position. By doing so, the young people will come out of the limelight of the nation, especially, in matters of decision-making and leadership in the nation. Things that will take the old days to achieve, the young will achieve in hours. Therefore the work of the old is to use their experience to positively and sincerely guide and advise the young so that the young will use their strong and active strength and power of creativity to achieve greater things for the nation.

Hence, let us as young people never allow ourselves to be deceived. Let's work together to achieve and sustain peace, unity, and togetherness in our nation Nigeria. We should love, respect, accept, forgive, and tolerate one another irrespective of our religious and tribal or cultural differences. Because, if there is no peace, then there will be no unity, and if there is no unity, then there will be no progress, and if there is no progress, then there will be no greatness and brighter future for the people, especially young people living in such a nation.

Let us, therefore, work together to achieve sincere and lasting peace, unity, equality, and oneness that our fathers have failed to achieve. When we achieve and sustain peace and unity, the sky will not be our limit, but our starting point. God bless Nigeria, God bless the young people of Nigeria, and give us a brighter future and greater achievements, Amen!

Nwoko Solomon Ikechukwu