Kelvin Obambon|19 August 2017
This article comes as a response to the bashing and vilification that has characterized the social media landscape for some days now. The vitriolic is as a result of accusations and counter accusations that all emanated from amongst youths of Cross River State extraction. The bone of contention here is however not unconnected to egotism —the defining hallmark of Cross River youth.
A closer look at an average Cross River youth reveals a youth who is self-centred, egotistic, arrogant and self-indulging. These anti social and progressive traits breed hatreds among youths at the slightest provocation. They are the very undoings older politicians exploit to keep the youths politically off track and consigned to irrelevance.
At a time when youths in other states of the federation are rearing up to go seize the mantle of political leadership from older generation, youths in Cross River State are rather dissipating their energies and resources to pull down one another in a shameful move to guard against the erosion of their self-serving political inclinations that ensure no greater good to the greatest number of Cross Riverians.
Curiously, a sizeable chunk of self-acclaimed Cross River youth activists are only popular on social media timelines. A mere mentioning of their names in their communities and streets in major towns in Cross River State evokes an eerie silence. They have negligible amount of impacts on their environments. Then, how on earth can youths who owe their names to nothing in their respective communities sway popular mandates in their favour?
While the clarion call for youth's participation in politics deepens, youths in 'The People's Paradise' are seemingly turning a deaf ear to it as their un-complementary dialectics and rhetorics in new media amply demonstrate. The dissenting voices with their discordant tones lay bare the rift underpinning youth's world in Cross River State in particular, and Nigeria in general. Youths cannot engage the older generation in political contests and expect to cart home laurels while the house lies in tatters.
When youths in Cross River State are sufficiently ready to be counted among other serious youths they know how well to trend. Putting the house in order and bringing it under one roof would be a robust start. The youths should purged from among themselves every avaricious tendency which bend their minds and hold their conscience hostage. Keeping it high in humility would naturally spur them up, no matter how highly placed, to take to community development service. Voluntary youth organizations should, as and when practicable, embark upon the provision of low cost basic social amenities in rural communities. This way, the youths would be endearing themselves to the people.
Aggressive political orientation and re-orientation programmes should be organized for youths across the Eighteen local government areas.
While not fore-closing the door on the older generation, honest and trustworthy elder statesmen should be consulted to guide youths in their drive to become a political force in Cross River State.
Kelvin Obambon
Is a Social Commentator
