The Intrigues of Generation - Koye-Ladele Mofehintoluwa

"As it happens in all times and ages, when the older generation refuses to solve the problems of the nation. The younger generation takes it upon itself to solve these problems. The case of Nigeria is no different" - Adewale Ademoyega

When youths insult someone like Dino or is it Daniel Melaye, some people seem to forget the ideals of respect in that moment and their sense of morality is not offended because it is Dino Melaye, the notorious Kogi guy. Switch to side B and youths insult someone like Professor Itse Sagay challenging his refusal to come before the Senate citing section 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It immediately becomes that the youths are disrespectful and do not acknowledge "international achievement" and worldwide recognition.

Do we agree on virtue and reputation as a basis for respect other than age?

If yes, we have taken a major step.

Youths are embittered. The older generation took Nigeria to war, enthroned tribalism, wasted oil boom, made no major achievement and led us to the present hellish conditions we are suffering as a nation.

Does such a generation deserve respect? Their best stared while their worst wrecked the nation. Their best remained content with writing textbooks concerned more about making profit and immortality than the purpose of knowledge. Their best went into the academics and became Professors, a large number of them unproductive beyond the research work they release and keep on cupboards and library shelves. Most of those works are even written so that they can solicit grants and have something to show as "research".

Their best went to foreign countries to study and returned with all the international exposure to business or real estate. They took several wives and the dead ones among them are best remembered by the litigation that followed their deaths by their children for the inheritance. A large number of them died intestate, life was too good and they never imagined it will end. So why would they write a will?

While their worst went into the military and into government. Their best thought only of individual gains and their worst were busy destroying the future of an entire nation.

Does such a generation deserve respect?

A generation leaving a nation that cannot feed itself or even run a single refinery successfully despite 60 years since being a major world producer of crude oil. A generation that has made us unable to compete globally as youths because of the conditions which revolve around our education.

Virtually every student I know desires a foreign degree. They all seek that escape from this country. They know they would worth more in the job market with Harvard or Yale shining its teeth on their CV. They ignore arguments that change comes from a collective decision to stop the trend.

Social media provides the opportunity to launch assaults on those they think cause their problems. Their missiles do not distinguish between the best and the worst from the older generation. They hit both groups. And I think that is fair. The best did what was necessary for the triumph of evil. They did nothing! Do they deserve in the blames? I say yes!

I think a generation that brought Nigeria here should stop asking for respect. Has it been earned?

With very few exceptions, anyone that has acquired reasonable age are among those we should point at for destroying Nigeria. Where were you when it was happening? What did you do? Could you not have averted it somehow?

Stop telling us naira once had more value than pounds sterling and that you used to take 1 naira to school as a child. We don't want to hear about railway and the 80's. It just sounds like the introductory lines of Charles Dickens book - A Tale of Two Cities. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

You only establish that you were alive. You were a part of the system. It got spoilt. You didn't do anything.

YOU ARE PART OF IT!!! ALL OF YOU. Those who have managed to add appellations to the back of their names should not seek exemptions. They would find none from a generation that does not have any assurance of what the future holds in the changing realm and dynamics of the world.

This may be the same fate the younger generation will suffer. We are on that path already as it seems.

Change or even an imitation of it does not come through mantras but through those shouting it. Dino Melaye rode into power on this song of change we sang blindly two years ago. He is part of the APC change we came out to shout. APC from top to bottom. We now have the change!

Change comes from the decision of everyone to stem the tide. It comes from the decision of Tope, Tolu, Nnamdi, Kazeem, Hassan and Taiwo to take actions. Actions not in the sense of a revolution even, but in the sense of challenging the system by being different. By refusing the seduction of the breasts and thighs of Silence and her sister- Compromise.