RE-CHANNELING THE ANGER

“Anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.”
- Aristotle

The politically aware Nigerian youth is the probably the most angry person in the world. This is more so because the heart is sore at injustice, and aggrieved to the marrow at the current political climate that has led the fortunes of this nation move in all directions but forward. In a nation that has been blessed in abundance in terms of natural and human resources, it is a wonder that she has continued to languish in mediocrity and infamy and wallow in unbelievable filth.

Our socio-political order has been so abused and crafted to perpetuate the situation where intellectually and morally bereft old cows are continually recycled to concretize a system that totally excludes the active participation of young, vibrant and independent minds from governance. In the face of a rapidly changing world, this anomaly has led to a steady decline in the importance of Nigeria as a hub to foster development in Africa. 

Since the inception of the fourth republic as ushered in by the PDP, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented wave of corruption and brigandage. This has been brought to the fore by the current administration under President Goodluck Jonathan that has seen the sum of N5 trillion stolen under its watch in less than three years in the face of dire economic consequences. It has been pointed out that looted funds between 1999 and 2012 surpass all loots between 1960 and 1999 in quantum, value and frequency. Now, we wonder how the return of democracy became our undoing.

With the impunity with which public officials act without any form of accountability; indulge in ostentatious lifestyles while at the same time, singing tunes of how the cost of its ineptitude and unwillingness to battle the well-fed monster called corruption should be borne by the masses, and a total abdication of its basic functions as government, it is no wonder why there is so much anger in the land. Unemployment is at its worst in the history of this nation with our decayed institutions of learning churning out thousands of graduates each year to flood an already saturated army of unemployed youths.

The dangers inherent in such a grim situation can never be over emphasized. The period of youthfulness is a time of activity. Whether such activity will be negative or positive is squarely up to the social climate and other germane factors. The continual negligence of this source of labour for nation building has gradually become a scourge to the system; the strength of this nation has become its achilles heel with the real potential of creating chaos. Anger is gradually giving way to all forms of inhumane considerations and leading us back to our basest state. Is it really rocket science to understand the increase in crime and steady erosion of what moral sanity is left?

One fact about life is if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. Gone are the days when we sit morose and wait in hopes that successive governments would herald better tidings. The time for active spectatorship is over. Nigeria is overripe for a revolution. It is time for all youths, employed and unemployed; educated and illiterate; christians and muslims to come together in unity and channel our collective anger towards the irresponsible powers and institutions that be. We are different but with a common ancestry. It is time to put all differences aside; be it tribal, religious, ideological or whatever. Our oppressors know us well enough and take advantage of our differences to continually devise means to sow seeds of discord to keep the battle amongst ourselves rather than directing our collective energies against them.

No good ever came without sacrifice. It is time to shed all personal aspirations for collective interests. It is time to revive the dead spirit of patriotism. It is time to create a new era of leadership by youths to replace these obsolete relics who seem determined to run the nation aground before 2015. Our anger must amplify our voices now more than ever in challenging the rot in our system. Our anger must be felt on the social media and in the streets. Our anger must be felt in the heat of the sun. We must take back our nation; our lives depend on it. I know I deserve better. How about you?

Malcolm O. Ifi.

Follow on twitter @saymalcolm

Photo Credit: Internet