By Gift Chapi Odekina
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Amos Olatunde Ojo, says Nigeria is fast losing her youth to obsession of wealth and fortune which has led them into diabolical rituals.
Ojo who spoke during the commemoration of Commonwealth Day in Abuja on Monday, said this must be reversed immediately else the next generation of Nigerians would be doomed. “May l ask the question: what type of future are our youths looking at when teenagers and under aged children are incredibly involved in money rituals?
What kind of future is waiting for our youths when the craze for sudden wealth has even overtaken morality and Godliness? What future awaits a generation when its youth spends long hours chatting on social media sites yet the long hours wasted online can be channeled to productive activities that can enable one to acquire quality education. For instance, through online tutorials and make good use of online research materials,” he wondered. He however said it is not too late “to drag our children and youths from the jaws of certain identified destruction.”
He urged parents, religious leaders, schools and the mass media “to all go back to the basics and courageously identify where we missed our ways into the jungle of barbarism that now violently threatens the future of the youths in our society as the government cannot do it alone.”
The Clerk said social networking has been proved to have both positive and negative effects on the youths but parents should guide and advise their children on current matters like the usage of social media and warn them of its negative impacts when misused or overused.
“It is hoped that at the end of today, many of you will come together under social platforms to promote and advocate for gender balance, creating awareness on climate change and inclusiveness.
“Nigerian education curriculum also should be reviewed so that it can include social media studies in its disciplines so as to guide students and warn them about the dangers of social media usage.
“Lastly, the journey to the 2023 general elections is gathering momentum, our youths must not allow themselves to be used as cannon folders for unscrupulous politicians.
“As l conclude my view here today l passionately urge us all to go back to our old ways of doing things; our youths must be counselled on how to fear God and love humanity,” he said. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, urged youths to use the various social media platforms to learn and improve themselves in order to be responsible citizens that would contribute to nation building. Gbajabiamila, who was represented by the Chairman House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Buba Yakub, encouraged them to use their creative energy to positively impact the environment.
“The future belongs to artificial intelligence and you must fully equip yourselves with relevant skills in addition to your regular studies. “As future Leaders, the future begins now and you must avail yourselves of these rare opportunities to play responsible roles in your immediate environment.
“The world is rapidly changing, bringing people closer and putting enormous pressure on the available resources. It is therefore important that we collectively build a world that is inclusive where everyone is fairly treated. “I encourage you to become agents against bullying, Gender violence and other societal ills that promotes discrimination and obstruct inclusiveness within the school environment and the larger society,” he said.
The Speaker said the Commonwealth Day is celebrated every year on the second Monday of March to create awareness and understanding among the young people, about the Commonwealth in general and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in particular. He said the CPA is founded on the ideals of democracy, good governance and human rights. In attendance at the event were students from several schools in Abuja.
