Charles Oputa (AKA Charley Boy) has written an open letter to Nigerians, especially the youths, urging them to be vigilant and take hold of their destiny; saying the government do not have them in plans.
According to him, the present state of the country’s economy calls for urgent action.
He wrote,
“OH LORD, WHY?? So many questions dey slap me for face; sometimes my mouth no fit talk sef, na him I turn to Achebe.
Why, why, why??? I dey ask myself.
My people, remember the Change they promised us? Now they are telling us to be the change we want to see. Ha ha ha, the more you look, wayo made easy 101.
But why we dey allow all these rogue behaviour from our leaders?
Even with a collapsing economy, These our yeye leaders are still the biggest African spenders in London.
In some shops especially on Oxford street, Many Naijas have turned that street into their own Las Vegas with their loot, even as dollar don high reach and still dey climb. Kai! Why?
Naija reminds me of one “Agbaya” (Yoruba word for old-for-nothing, foolish nonentity), even at the age of 56, still as stupid, with no sense of direction.
56yrs of rubbish and nonsense, even as we the followers are adjudged the happiest people in the world. Ha, suffering and smiling abi?
What do we have to show for all the years of oil boom?
Dilapidated primary, secondary schools, and useless universities where violence and cult reign supreme, where young girls sleep around with their lecturers for grades; hospitals that remind me of mechanic sheds and doctors that are no better than vulcanizers?
From Obasanjo to Jonathan’s era, more than $25billion was injected into the power sector, but rats stole and siphoned most of it to their foreign accounts and private pockets. Why?
Our leaders have failed because of selfishness, religious fundamentalism, graft, corruption, indiscipline, impunity, greed, and so on. While they live and enjoy a lavish life, millions of Naijas are deprived of their basic needs of water, light, food, health, education, housing. Yet, the poor remain docile and afraid, waiting for manner from heaven. Oh Lord. Why?
Forget sha, our leaders are so removed from the people that they look like foreigners in their father’s land. Everyday na so dem they mess up because there are no consequences for failure. Dem dey yarn akpata we dey clap for them. How is it their fault?
Writing about the sins of our leaders is already a waste of time, they are sitting pretty…in the face of unnecessary frustration, hopelessness and poverty.
Why have we given up, isn’t it our moral obligation as citizens of this country to hold leadership accountable?
Without a sharp critical assessment of leadership and the duties of leadership, we ignorantly select rifrafs, entertainers, people from the gutters, with no credible background, thieves and animals, as opposed to strong visionaries.
Mark my word, this hardship will not go away anytime soon. It has not only been the fault of leadership, we ourselves are guilty of inaction. Our leaders are not from Togo or Ghana, they are from amongst us, we know them.
Whether na Igbo trader’s mentality, owambe permutation or aboki lifestyle, the current archaic way of leadership and methodologies are so out-of-tune with trends.This is why they continue to fail to engage the next generation of Nigerians exceptional youths who are techno savvy but lacking in direction; it’s the reason we see the same types of unchanging engagement, the same old faces from back in the day. People who should be put to pasture, but dem wan die der.
These our yahoo leaders no get any idea about the new world that is “liking” itself away on Youtube, Facebook and Wikipedia.Mark Zuckerberg no come Nigeria come look 3rd Mainland Bridge, e come do business, with him jeans and t-shirts.
Nigerian youths make una do something o, dem dey steal una future go be dat o.“