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30.08.2015 Feature Article

The Plights Of The African Youth

The Plights Of The African Youth
30.08.2015 LISTEN

“Children, after all are not just adults in the making. They are people whose current needs and experiences must be taken seriously”---Alfie Kohn

It is high time African Leaders sit up and take a second look at the concerns of the teeming youths in Africa before the problems confronting the youth escalates beyond control.The youth in Africa deserve far more better things than what they are experiencing currently

I never knew it was a crime to pursue Education to the highest level in Africa. The current system in Africa make education useless and certificates become part of room decoration instead of it helping you to get a job. Graduates are all over the Continent searching for ghost jobs! Why then do you force us to pursue education to the peak…is it for its beauty or for your records that your country have the highest number of graduates when in actual fact, your Country have the highest number of unemployed graduates with Masters,Degrees,HNDs,Diplomas and what have you sitting home and not even a blue-collar job is available come to talk of white collar

African Youths who aren’t lucky to get admissions to the Tertiary level and those who go into learning of a vocation find it difficult setting up their own businesses due to unfair regulations in once Country. A young man have to pay kick back to a Corrupt Public or government official before he/she is allowed to erect a shop or garage to do his or business. Financial institutions come with their throat cutting terms and conditions in loan agreements which scare the youth away.

Now, who ever thought of South African youths killing their own black African brothers and sisters with the reason that, they can’t share the few jobs in South Africa with other Africans! Our governments have done us more harm than good. In Ghana a University graduate is reported to have joined the terrorist group ISIS, yes ISIS and the reasons he was reported to have given is that, he can’t bare the hardship in Ghana. Just recently some Ghanaian youths were found dead in a Ship when they tried to go seek for greener pastures by stowaway.

If you have African graduates joining ISIS,Al Shabab and Boko Haram then leaders of African Countries should bow down their heads.

55 deaths were reported on the Mediterranean sea just this week and none of the deceased is from Europe or America! Africa is losing vibrant, energetic and creative young men and women on the Mediterranean sea every now and then and the question I always ask amidst tears is WHY..WHY..WHY?

African Leaders always talk about Youth Empowerment but do little or put no effort in helping the youth reach his or her peak in life. They are the same people that will tell the Youth they are being lazy and not innovative. Tell us the crime the African youth have committed to go through this hardship.

Most of them who can’t stand the heat surrender to any offer that comes their way. Some Europeans come down here and pay peanuts to desperate youths and use their nude pictures for their own profit gains or engage them in sodomy just because the African have no other choice.

Tell us the crime we’ve committed for being young Africans? Armed robbery in Africa is no news in Africa and most culprits arrested always fall in the youth range, that’s from 18-35 years respectively. Our correctional centers are hoarding most of our able young men and women for crimes which would’ve being prevented if our leaders were caring and ready to take the needs of the youth into consideration.

Our selfish, greedy and self centered politicians take advantage of the unemployed teeming youth and use them for their stomach politics and dump them after winning power. They use the power they have to suppress the same youths that helped them win power. The youth in Europe or America will never lie down for a politician the pay with their tax! What do we see here in Africa, the future leaders of the Continent are not regarded as such

Readers of this Opinion of mine should not lose hope but join me in the fight to raise the concerns of the youth no matter how long it takes, we will get there.

It was reported somewhere this week in Nigeria that, a young man was burnt to ashes for stealing a pot of soup, whiles the Nigerian politician who steals public money in the full glare of all still lavishes in expensive cars and buildings without any one asking for accountability.

They tell us to stay in Africa and help build it but take their Children to schools abroad and even do their best to find them jobs preventing from coming down to Africa and join us suffer in the mess they have created.

I can’t scribble all the woes of the African Youth here for time sake, but the little I have touched on with tears in my eyes as I typed this piece will tell you our leaders have failed the YOUTH!

This is my YOUTHFUL OPINION; Our Colonial system of Education should be shouldn’t be the order of the day. Vocational and Technical education should be promoted from the basic school.Programmes that fit our abundant Natural resources should be run in our Tertiary institutions.

Financial institutions should be ready to give soft loans to youths who are ready to start businesses or venture into manufacturing.

Our leaders should start solving the problems that will make African young men and women join Boko Haram, ISIS or travel through the desert or on the wild ocean to seek greener pastures which is not guaranteed.

I passionately call on the AU,UNFPA,ECOWAS,African Media, Civil Society groups, Clergy and Traditional rulers to as a matter of urgency sit up and look into the eyes of the desperate,wailing,disappointed African Youth and tell us we have not committed any crime and you are ready to help echo our plights for a positive Change.

LONG LIVE THE AFRICAN YOUTH…LONG LIVE OUR COUNTRIES…LONG LIVE MAMA AFRICA.

You can contact the writer on [email protected]/0249542342/0508609109

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