The beautiful ones are not yet Born
 
While at the bus-stop yesterday waiting to board a vehicle to my place of residence, I observed a disturbing scene. A young boy of about 13 years old hawking chilled drinks to commuters was in conflict with another hawker of same age bracket.
 
I noticed the use of invectives and abrasive ‘gutter’ words being hurled at both parties while passersby looked on in amazement. The major players in the garage – drivers, bus conductors, ticketers laughed in concerted tune as the atmosphere was one that undoubtedly replayed the drama that regularly occurs in parks and garages in Nigeria’s commercial centre – Lagos.
 
After the fight was broken up, the driver of the bus I sat on remarked in a sad tone, ‘this park is a bad place to raise a child’. In retrospect, while the scuffle lasted, I had noticed that the driver who had just made that remark never watched the boys all through.. He had been all the while busy on his phone talking with his child at home.
 
For the rest of the evening, the remark made by the bus driver stayed with me.
 
I thought of my country, one where we rage at our leaders. We hope for change and clamour for it. Nevertheless, the youth who take the majority of the populace are a product of the old. The baton is handed down from generation to generation.
 
The young have watched the old in the act and have learned their ways. They observe how others are down-trodden on their behalf on the road to the top. They enjoy the glory and would do same to others.
 
Where would the change come from? The change we seek would begin with a shift in mindset, a turnaround from the norm – a corruption-celebrated society, focus on monetary successes whichever way it comes and a reducing focus on ethics – the right!
We seek answers in the wrong places, sadly.
 
It isn’t a tale of Young or Old. If the upcoming ones have been mentored in an atmosphere that glorifies waste, selfishness, injustice and inequity, we would be at an inflection point – a vicious circle of leaders and followers bonded by a wrong culture whereas they desperately seek to be emancipated from that which they themselves aren’t ready to lay aside.
 
Let us ask ourselves truthfully, do we have the right crop of leaders whether established or upcoming. Leaders who have been tried, tested and trusted? Do we have institutions and willpower?
 
Some have laid down their lives for the right but had it wasted. Those who strive for change are in-fact not given the opportunities to get on the podium.
If they do, will they not in fact face a hassle assembling other self-motivated leaders?
 
Are the beautiful ones born and ready?
You can answer silently.
May the labour of our heroes past not be in vain.