Continued from yesterday

OTHER values they would have imbibed are cooperation, responsibility and commitment. Equipped with these constructive tools, they would be able to become productive citizens, contributing their quota to the nation’s development in the agricultural sector or agro – allied industries or if they so wish, in other sectors of the economy.

This Initiative provides credible solutions to our problems as it would help solve the problem of youth unemployment and angst. It would at the same time wean us as a society away from get rich quick schemes, as products of the GNLN movement would serve as goodwill ambassadors as they interact with members of the public, espousing their new found core values.

This is a win – win situation for the nation, as serious issues concerning food security would also begin to be addressed.

The GNLN movement would also be a growth area for the private sector, as centres could be fully owned and operated by private sector entrepreneurs.

These private centres would cater to a target clientele and would be equipped with comforts and conveniences commensurate to those available in our private educational institutions. They would feature age-appropriate activities and start out initially as Easter/summer camps for secondary school students and grow to cater for gap year students. This particular clientele would consist primarily of youths from privileged backgrounds.

Their participation in this initiative is of paramount importance as there is a serious disconnect with and lack of empathy for their peers from less fortunate backgrounds.

These youths are also seriously disconnected with their motherland, Nigeria and believe that their destinies lie in Western countries such as the UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, and UAE. In addition, most harbour and evince an inordinate sense of entitlement and feel that practically all their school holidays must be spent in a western country. They have to be taught practical lessons in nation-building and that everyone must do their share, if we are to claw our way back from the abyss.

As I averred earlier, any meaningful approach to change must be multi-pronged, expeditious and revolutionary in order to have a fighting chance of putting this country on the road to recovery and well-being.

This will involve walking in unchartered territory. It cannot and must not be “business as usual!” Therefore, certain learned behaviours and attitudes in our youths have to be debunked.

To this end, an urgent revision is needed of the primary and secondary school syllabuses, to include a subject earlier referred to as “Patriotism.”

Patriotism has been described in the following ways – love of and devotion to one’s country or love for one’s ancestry, culture or homeland.

The start would be to identify the contributory factors responsible for achieving national greatness. The body of this new subject would draw on inspirational, thought-provoking and admirable material from all over the world, which encompasses a plethora of patriotic services and actions to learn from.

They span inventions, great infrastructure, civil and electrical engineering marvels, transport systems, heroic actions, medical breakthroughs, world class airports, scientific discoveries, space exploration, political, social and economic reforms, poetry, music, the list is endless.

All these gains came about as human solutions or responses to human or societal needs and can be classified as end products of patriotism.

A case study which could cover several chapters in a textbook would be Dubai, UAE and those responsible for building Dubai and making it the mega city it is today. Why can we not replicate their achievements in Nigeria? A task force should be immediately convened to look into the merits of this genre of information called “patriotism” as a set discipline in our primary and secondary schools to replace the insipid, weak and tired subject taught today, called civics.

Patriotism would be taught as a core subject from Primary 1 – 6 and in secondary schools, from JSS1- JSS3. It could replace a subject such as basic technology or home economics in secondary schools which could be handled as part of the co-curricula school programme.

Let us ask ourselves some hard questions as to where we are heading as a nation and as a people and whether our children have a bright future given the present scenario? I think if we were to be honest, we would all arrive at the same conclusion.

So, unless drastic, unprecedented action is taken, we will be dealing with symptoms of the cancer eating away at our society and not the disease. There is never going to be an easy fix.

Another group of youths I harbour some concern for are those serving in our National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The NYSC is a programme which time has come and gone. It is no longer fit for purpose and has not been fit for purpose for the past few decades. It needs to be totally scrapped! For the most part, it is mired in bureaucracy, extremely disorganized and constitutes an unnecessary and unjustifiable drain on precious resources.

The inductees are removed from immediate family and social networks and are without recourse to a NYSC support system, which by the way is non-existent.

Moreover, they are paid a stipend that has no correlation to the cost of living, whilst their accommodation and basic health care needs remain unaddressed. Most emerge from the programme without relevant or transferable work experience or skills.

Furthermore, the programme is just another breeding ground for class warfare and hatred to develop as children of the privileged wangle their way into cushy postings in desirable urban locations, whilst their peers who lack influence are left to suffer in some bleak and remote boondocks.

The programme lacks merit or credibility and its continued existence poses an ongoing threat to the health, well-being and lives of the inductees. This group of youths would also benefit from the “Grow Nigeria, Love Nigeria initiative.

Education has been described in the following terms, “It is the act or process of imparting or acquiring knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.”

(Unknown) It is time to move forward as a nation, as the window of opportunity to bring about change is tenuous at best. Mr. President-Elect Buhari, I implore you to save our youths and children. God bless you and God bless our motherland, Nigeria.

Concluded
•Ms Fowler is a lawyer.