The coming generation scares me

While we have been busy talking about Nigeria of today, I wonder if we have spared a thought about how
this country will be in the next TWENTY-FIVE years.
On October 1, 1979, when Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari was sworn-in as president, Goodluck
Jonathan was just a 22-year old undergrad of University of Port-Harcourt. Shagari was 54 years old. Ayo
Fayose was 19 years old. Bukola Saraki was 17. Yemi Osibajo was 22. The generation of the likes of
Shagari, Richard Akinjide, Adisa Akinloye, Sabo Barkin Zuwo, Ifeanyi Nwobodo, Ume Ezeoke, Akin
Omoboriowo, Olusola Saraki, Sunday Awoniyi, Garba Nadama, Awal Ibrahim and so on have gone for good!
Some of us in our 40s and 50s, when in school, either in the university or secondary school, had lofty
dreams, both personal and societal. We were always motivated by nationalists and inventors who had
impacted positively on the cause of humanity. We were voracious readers of novels and other books.
Nelkon for our Ordinary Level Physics, Lambert for Chemistry, B.O ADELEKE and Goh Cheng Leong for our
Geography, Phebean Ogundipe for Practical English and others like that. We were always flaunting our
knowledge of current affairs. Inter-school quiz competition was the in-thing. Fast forward 35 years on and
you are shocked and disturbed. Have you ever spoken to or engaged a 20 year-old boy?

Ask him what motivates him and he is likely to mention music,hip hop to be precise. He has hundreds of
downloaded songs on his phone. He can sing allof them off hand. He knows all the singles of Nice, Neato
C, Timaya, Davido, Whiz Kid off hand. But he does not know anything about history of nationalism in the
country. Ideas about good society, responsible family and good conduct do not motivate him. He just
wants to make money because his friend who does yahoo is rich and rides a good car, an SUV! The things
that interest him are things that do not add value. He has google but never uses it for advancement of
knowledge but to download porn and other inanities. Yet, in TWENTY years time, they are the ones that
will be contesting to become governors, senators, Reps members and even president. They belong to a
generation that doesnot care about morality.
They belong to a generation that is motivated only by money and its acquisition. By 2035 to 2040, they
will be oursenators, Reps, governors and so on. I wonder if we have ever spared a thought how this
country will look like under them. I told a man recently and these are my words: IF A GUY WHO IS IN
LAGOS COULD USE FALSE PRETENCE TO OBTAIN $20,000 FROM SOMEONE IN UNITED STATES, WHAT
DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IFSUCH A GUY BECOMES A STATE GOVERNOR AND IS IN CHARGE OF AN
ALLOCATION HE DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO OBTAIN UNDER FALSE PRETENCE? WHICH HIS STATE IS
STATUTORILY ENTITLED TO. I am worried, deeply worried. Are You? Forwarded as received from a friend. Yasir sani tahir