Browsing: Nigerian Youths

The government of every nation, among others is saddled with the responsibility of helping her vast array of citizens across multiple demographics to discover and maximize their innate potentials. However, it is also possible for a government to embrace and promote socio-economic policies and ideologies that do more damage than good to the psyche of their young population, including for example, what Karl Marx’s socialist ideologies did to the young population of many western nations.

The likes of Emefiele and other highly placed Nigerians, including President Muhammadu Buhari, hailed the youths for exercising their fundamental rights to engage in peaceful protest. But the same Nigerians, including the law-abiding youths, also rose to condemn acts of violence and brigandage introduced in the protest by a few highly vicious persons. The introduction of violence, whether by omission or commission, took so much virtue from the protest and tarred it with a veneer of destruction.

What began about a fortnight ago as “genuine concerns and agitations” by Nigerian youths against the excesses of the Special Anti-robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police has suddenly transmogrified into expressions of hate against the land, leading to murder, mayhem and arson. My sympathy and condolence to family and loved ones of the dead, irrespective of how they came to their unfortunate ends.

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 election, Peter Obi, has blamed the horrible spate of drug abuse among Nigerian youths on the ever worsening economic realities prevalent in the country, saying a visible economic recovery will see a drastic reduction in the number of drug abusers in the country.

Obi made this known through a press release commemorating the 2020 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, themed: “Better Knowledge for Better Care.”

He explained that ignorance, youth unemployment and frustration are major contributing factors to drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Nigeria.

He advised that a wholesome war against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking will involve mitigating the harsh economic realities people contend with in their daily lives.

Obi explained that engaging the youths in productive endeavours by providing jobs and investing heavily in the MSME sector would help curb the rising rate of drugs and substance abuse.

He said: “The increasing rate of drug and substance abuse and illicit trafficking in the world, more so in our country Nigeria, is very worrisome.

“The harsh economic realities we live through each day in our country can be so overwhelming and has contributed in frustrating many youths into unwholesome acts like drug addictions and substance abuse.

“A wholesome war against drug abuse will involve measures taken by the government to stem unemployment and investing heavily in the MSME sector to engage the youth in productive endeavours.

“An idle mind, they say, is a devil’s workshop.

“A good economic environment will also discourage illicit trafficking which thrives in environments of conflict, violence, and organised crime.”

Obi further called on the government and relevant organisations to engage in massive awareness on the dangers of drug abuse, while lending helping hands to those drowning in the ocean of drug addiction.

“It is our collective responsibility as a people; governments at all levels and organisations, to unite and eradicate this evil menace ravaging our society by constantly educating our wards on the ugly repercussions of drug abuse while proffering solutions to those who are already neck deep into drug abuse and other addictions,” Obi concluded.