Open letter to Civilian JTF in Borno

As the 2015 general elections draw near, my fear is that politicians would want to use these innocent youths for selfish and dangerous political jobs. I want to use this medium to plead with follow youths not to allow themselves to be deceived by selfish politicians. We must remember that we are now suffering as […]

As the 2015 general elections draw near, my fear is that politicians would want to use these innocent youths for selfish and dangerous political jobs. I want to use this medium to plead with follow youths not to allow themselves to be deceived by selfish politicians. We must remember that we are now suffering as a result of such action in the past. We must not forget that it is normal for politicians to spend a lot of money during election period for selfish reasons. At the end of the elections we are always left to face the realities of life – destruction and hunger. We cannot allow them to continue using us to their advantage while we continue to perish.
It is said that the youth are leaders of tomorrow, but many of us have not realised our worth. Some of us engage in dangerous drugs and become vulnerable to all sorts of crime.
Why do we have to sacrifice our lives and happiness to make politicians comfortable? It is time for us to learn from past mistakes.
It is also time for the government to invest heavily on the youth with the aim to refocus them and make them useful in the society. They should be trained in various skills acquisition and gainfully employed. If they are gainfully employed it would be difficult for politicians to use them. Our youths should learn to say no to unpatriotic and clearly destructive offers. Let’s say no to any politician that seeks to bastardise us and push us into drugs abuse.
Finally, the Civilian JTF should not be discouraged. We must fight to reclaim our state and return it to the path of greatness. We cannot allow evil to overcome us. Most importantly, as 2015 draws closer, we must be wise.
Junaid Jibril Maiva, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, Borno State.