“THE YOUTH OF YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW”
FOREWORD
/INTRODUCTION
Nigerian youths has always been the
nerve center of patriotic favour. They have always been foremost on the
determined efforts to be in the vanguard of any movement aimed at making the
nation truly great.
- What are our
challenges?
- What is stopping our
actions & movements?
- What are the
suggested solutions?
v The Youth of
Yesterday – what we were
v The Youth Of Today – what we are
THE YOUTH OF
YESTERDAY
It is always pleasant and good to hear
about the old times when good comments were made on how vibrant and active the
youths were back then when youths operates in harmony, peace & unity and
with great determinations and how time has quickly flown them by.
It bothers me when I give it a
comparison with the activities of today’s youth not even to
talk of the tomorrow [unseen] because there are lots of differences between
them. The youths of yesterday can walk for hours untiredly to their place of
actions to get their needs without fear or favour.
They queued up for hours just to
execute their actions and objectives for the betterment of the youth circle and
the upcoming leaders. They were there, they did not take to their heels when
they heard the threatening sirens, sound of bombs of threatens being dropped
down their stand by the powerful elders and the unjustful authoritarians.
Despite such circumstance and
challenges, they still made it the best of times to accomplish their mission
& plans. They made do with the little advantages and materials they had.
Should we say from this that the youth of yesterday were better than today’s? Should we say they
were more vibrant & active? [Let’s not judge yet, we shall get to know].
May I salute the heroes and heroines
who fought the apartheid system and emancipated us. Those who influenced many
young ones prior to their brilliant ideas without any selfish interest.
The youths of yesterday faced
challenges also but they were able to curb and solve them. They fought among
themselves but were able to settle conflicts amicably. They did not divide
themselves on the track of actions nor were in- fractions. They present
themselves as role models and positive minded leaders. They stand firmly on
their missions and aim at attaining their visions with any fear or favour.
The yesterday youths activities and
struggles was an 80% positive achievements to 20% unwilling failure. They put
their trust in God, they listen to suggestions and didn’t prove they know
everything and neglect elderly advices. Do they lay down leadership examples
for the youths coming after them (the youth of today)? I won’t answer that alone…..
THE YOUTH OF TODAY
In the past, while the elders were
talking and the young ones raised up his hand and say “excuse me please, I
have something to say…..”, the leaders will
stop their conversation to listen to what the young leader has to say. That is
what we youth of today are like and the elders smilingly brush it off, saying “see how smart he is!
Aren’t he cute?” which shouldn’t be so.
(That is one side of my thought)
It is lamenting, in one way or the
other, when we look at the matters with youths of today! Yes, we are vibrant,
full of ideas, active goal getters, rugged and other compliments which we may
possess but the ideas in us compared to those of the past echoes throughout
records isn’t compensative enough. We no more respect nor reference
elders, we are impatient at restraint, we think of thousands of things in a single
sitting with no plans of executing while we want them done in a twinkle of an
eye.
Basically, let me say we are enjoying
the benefits of the seeds sown over years ago by our dear leaders who vividly
had vision for the youth circle, who has vision for the community and the
nation as a whole.
The youth’s lifestyle today is
so advanced in a way that we are doing some things encouraging with the
advantages we have we should make use of the advantages we have and bring out
something good, but sometimes some of the advantages were turn to
disadvantages. We shouldn’t ignore the laid down steps of our
leaders. Most times, when we do, we often encounter problems and making
ourselves walking in a wrong direction.
Those are only few of the challenges
the youth of today are facing. Those are some of the difficulties we encounter.
Then what should we do? We should try as much as possible to fight all these
odds out and make moves on how to get ourselves on the right lane and on a
single form not into fractions. Let us ware our flags and prove to the world
that we are still the youth we should be. Lets adopt the challenges and control
them. Let’s take these challenges and make a change of ourselves and
everyone should ask himself…. “What type of seed am
I currently sowing for the future?”
THE YOUTH OF
TOMORROW
Our youth of yesterday has done theirs,
we of today are doing ours, what is the hope for tomorrow’s youth? “A question for all…..” on this, I will say
tomorrow’s youth is what we want them to be! [whatever we do today
determines tomorrow].
Our leaders always say “The future of this
country is in the hands of the youth. However, I am seeing little to support
this assertion. Are the youths of today’s voices been heard
to hope for tomorrow’s?.... In this regard, maybe it’s an opportune time
to explore and define a futuristic youth of tomorrow. Youths should be allowed
into governmental offices and leadership positions. This would be an example of
significant seed longs ploughed for tomorrow’s youth outlook. Such
is supplemented by an observed of our youths being active in parliament,
government programmes, workshops, leadership trainings research, etc.
It is high time we started planning and
persuading the powers to behold and have better and more vibrant youth for tomorrow.
“Our today determines our tomorrow”…
DIFFERENCES
I will like to classify the difference
between the youth of yesterday and today into two sections.
(1) Differences in terms
of socialization & executions
(2) Differences in terms
of characters & discipline
It becomes a question to be answered by
all youth activist and anyone it may also concern that “are the youth of
yesterday better than the youths of today or vice-versa? [We should be able to
answer that having read the below differences].
DIFFERENCES IN FORMS
OF SOCIALIZATION AND EXECUTIONS
(1) There are some
negatives and at the same time positives concerning the youth of today with all
the latest advances from science to technology as well as other drastic social
changes in their activities which wasn’t much like that in the yesterday youth
activities because there wasn’t enough technology.
(2) The images the youth
of today take in life experiences and how they were being raised is making a
drastic difference in character development, while those of yesterday were
somehow lost in materialistic society and such of this socialization which
bring about some little challenges in their executions.
(3) Today’s youth are somehow
more developed than the youth of yesterday. The distinct different is that
these days, youth have more freedom to express their thoughts and ideas &
they have more access to socialized knowledge which those of yesterday weren’t opportune of.
(4) There are some fine
opportunities for the youth of today which those of yesterday were not
privileged of. They have opportunities to develop more. The main problems are
lack of sufficient finance and dishonesty.
(5) Today, there is no
indoctrination system among the youth, there is a huge vacuum. The youth
organizations that exist today are no vibrant as they should be which wasn’t like that among the
youth of yesterday. There are no much pioneer organizations anymore. That is
why some youth of today lack ideas about patriotism and national values.
DIFFERENCES IN TERMS
OF CHARACTER AND DISCIPLINE
(1) The youths of
yesterday were more vibrant, disciplined, more honest, not selfish-interested,
buoyant and punctual while some of the youth today are not honest, neither
punctual nor disciplined.
(2) Despite all the challenges the youth of
yesterday faced, they were still able to bring out the best in themselves &
at the same time accomplish their goals without any fear or favour but it is
not so among the youth of today. Today’s youth find it difficult to settle
disputes among themselves and also to overcome challenges that comes their way.
(3) The youth of
yesterday were insulted, embarrassed and they were lambasted also, but still
they didn’t look into these, they keep moving and did not divide
themselves, they were no fractions among them. But take a good look at it among
the youth of today, they easily divide themselves into fractions if any little
disagreement comes among them or when slightly insulted.
(4) The youth of yesterday were knowledge
searchers, they were not lazy nor dullards. Even though they were not much
socialize that those of today, they still deem it fit to be knowledgeable and
ask questions. 70% today’s youth are not concerned about
searching for useful knowledge nor ask favorable questions. What they think of
mostly is how to full their pockets.
(5) The youth of
yesterday were positive minded, they set targets, they listen to advices and
give respect among one another but the reverse is the case among the youth of
today. The respect for elders is lost among them. They rarely even acknowledge
the presence of elders in their midst.
CONCLUSION:
I sit back and take a cool breath and
ask myself;
- Were the youth of
yesterday more intelligent?
- Were they wiser that
those of today?
- Were they more
respectful and more discipline?
I think you can answer this also….
Personally I say, whether before or
after, the youth should be able to show that we are born leaders. We deserve
the trust our elders and past leaders gave to us, then let us do what we are
needed to do. Let us conquer what we are asked to conquer. Whatever challenges
that will come our way, I hope that we fight all the obstacles and always find
our way out. I still strongly believe that the youth is the hope of our dear
nation. By endurance, more striving and dedications, we will reach our
destination and attain success with smiles on our faces.
I would like to use this medium to pray
for the betterment of the youths generally and a befitting youths for the
future. May the Almighty continue to guide us aright, be our guide and guard.
May we be successful in all our dealings. Once again, let us wave our flags and
prove to everyone that we are still the youth we should be we possesses what it
takes.
I thank you for your patience,
attention and time out of no time to read through the few knowledge of a young
and learning youth leader.
Yours in Youth Development.
Signed
Hon. Taiwo Akorede
Member, Lagos State Youth Parliament
(3rd Legislative Assembly)
07032933789
akoredetaiwo.ta@gmail.com
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