By Nnaemeka Oruh
The #30PercentOrNothing# hashtag is
one of the newest to flood social media in Nigeria
To me however, agitations for such representation are simply proof of the agitators' weak status. For most times, they do not 'demand', they simply plead for, kowtow and ultimately make due with whatever hand-out they get. Most times, as soon as the leaders of such agitations are 'settled' the request dies down. So clearly, I am not a fan of such agitations except if they are well modelled as demands and not requests.
The most important thing though is
that such requests are made by people operating from a position of weakness.
That Nigerian youths who indeed should represent a greater majority of voters
in the country should engage in such demand shows the hypocrisy of it all. If
what they really want is representation, then they should galvanize other
youths and get them to vote in mainly youths. So in all clarity, #30PercentOrNothing#
comes clothed fully as simply a political machination of some youths to
seek a way into some government appointments with the view to enriching
themselves or gaining political currency. It is in this vein simply
individualistic. It is not a demand for the good of Nigerian youths; it is a
symbolic representation of what majority of Nigerian youths are: a generation
sculpted almost perfectly in the image of their corrupt fathers. Except that they
may eventually turn out worse.
(pix: 30percent-or-nothing)
This is a generation that hungers
after material things more than anything else. What sells mostly among Nigerian
youths is materialism. Forget about intellectualism, it is not really lauded
here. Both genders are in a fierce scuffle to see who best displays how much
material possession they have gathered. A journey through social media will
eloquently testify to this. Post intellectual matters or a picture of a book,
and see how far nobody is moved. But once pictures of material things or lousy
opinions about material or irrelevant things are posted, Nigerian youths will trip
all over themselves, trying to outdo each other with comments and sharing of
such things. This is what they are good at; it is the soul of their existence.
The exceptions are only but a few.
This is a generation that would
rather spend hundreds of thousands in purchase of expensive mobile telephones
than buy books that can help shape their future or make them better. Granted
that most of the telecommunication devices have applications that can help with
studying, but what you mostly find purchased or downloaded are the applications
that entertain rather than educate. This is a generation that has become so
lazy that suddenly the possessive pronoun 'your' has taken over the second
person pronoun and verb combination 'you are'(or you're).This is a generation
that basks mainly in emptiness of the brain and an uncanny desire for material
riches. And this is the generation that is demanding for #30PercentOrNothing?#
Considering this generation's focus
then, it is of little wonder that a few among them has come up with this
strategy to satisfy their own desire for material riches. Make no mistakes, the
clamour is not for the totality of the youths. And when the few protagonists of
this 'request' finally get 'settled'(the plan is to make as much noise as
possible and get old politicians' attention so that they will use the platform
to deliver the votes of youths to the older generation of politicians and then
get compensated with political appointments and/or contracts), trust me,
Nigerian youths will be too lazy to even notice that they have been used. They
will simply move on. Already, information from twitter is that former vice
president Atiku Abubakar has promised 50% participation for youths if elected.
The drumming is beginning to heat up.
I look at this generation and I
cannot help but feel deeply sad. I feel sad because I believe that for now,
this generation is not yet ready to lead itself talk more of others. That is
why despite having more opportunities for better education and integration with
people from other parts of the world than our fathers, we are still being led
like sheep by them. That is why when we are supposed to be using our superior
exposure and numbers to take over the leadership of our country and forge a new
future for our own children, we gather and drum like beggars for hand-outs.
From all indications, we are not ready to lead and make this country better.
No, not this generation. Not this generation of youths majority of who know
nothing about their rights. Not this generation of youths who sacrifice a
bright future in service to octogenarians whose grip on the country keeps
choking her. Not this generation of youths whose dreams are primarily hinged on
a full stomach and some extra to flaunt as a mark of achievement. Not this lazy
generation that cannot differentiate between “your” and “you are” (or you’re).
Give me a better Nigeria
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