The recent clamp down on alleged Nigerian fraudsters in the US is no news to anybody. Cyber crime is obviously not a new thing in the Nigerian society that despite the harrasment, arrests and blanket manhandling SARS officials are meting out on Nigerian youths, it is a scourge that will not go away soon unless we all look inwards. People like Invictus Obi and Co were opportuned to leave the country and experience a better life abroad but they still chose a life of crime. This only goes to show that unless we look at what is wrong with us as youths and deal with it, we will always see a life of crime as the best. Its what happens when you bring a pig out of the sty and clean it up. If the change is not internal, the pig will always find a way to get dirty.
It is easy to point fingers at the government and blame poverty or the devil but its also important to note that when pointing out one finger, the rest always point backwards. So without further ado, let’s examine the types of spirits that make Nigerian youths mentally lazy and unproductive.
1. Entitlement
This is the spirit that will make a healthy man of 30 sit at home with his aged parents and expect them to cater for his needs because they brought him to this world. It is what will make some youths fight over their parents hard earned cash, cars and properties fully expecting that it’s their inheritance despite the fact that they practically do nothing to earn their own living. It is also this spirit that makes some Nigerian ladies turn a relationship to poverty alleviation program. My brother and sister, if you are a healthy 25 year old with no source of livelihood except someone else’s hard earned cash, this spirit is obviously at work in your life. You don’t need to visit a prayer house for deliverance, go and find something productive to do!
2. Copycat
This spirit is close relatives with greed, envy and covetousness. Your friend, Ernest, drives flashy cars, lives in a mansion, vacations abroad and has the hottest models hanging on to him and you want to be exactly like him. You don’t care that the source of his sudden wealth is shady,
you are always in his DMs begging him to show you the way. My brother, he’ll soon show you the way to FBI’s most wanted list. The cure to this spirit is simple, be contented with your legit hustle even if it’s not bringing much money today. Even the bible says, “do not despise the days of little beginnings…” Our elders were not foolish when they said, “a good name is better than riches. ” Of what use will your money be to you when your family is turned away from receiving healthcare abroad like Ibori’s wife?
3. Get rich quick
It’s a sad reality that most Nigerian youths abhor hard work but prefer to reap in fields where they do not sow. And it truly does not help that the Nigerian society is one that glories in making fraudsters famous. We truly don’t care how people make their money, we’re only interested in the dollars they make rain at parties, the hard currencies their babies walk on, their flashy cars etcetera. This has made many youths involve themselves in get rich schemes that lead to their downfall. To cast out this spirit, learn to live within your means.
4. Desperation
This spirit is what makes women stay in bad relationships and end up in unhappy marriages. It is also behind young men involving themselves in fraud and screaming “get rich or die trying”. Brethren, poverty is evil but don’t allow it push you into situations you didn’t bargain for. To cast out this spirit, check yourself and the motives for your actions. If you are always comparing yourself to your ‘mates’ that have achieved one thing or the other, stop doing that. Your mates are living under bridges and are even dead. Stop comparing yourself to others so you’ll get into less problems and live longer.
5. Negativity
This is the spirit that makes Nigerian youths lose hope in Nigeria and hustling legitimately. Yes, Nigeria is backward with a lot of political and socioeconomic deficiencies. Yes, the milieu is tough on young entrepreneurs because the infrastructure is poor. But don’t give up hope and lose your positive dreams to negativity. There are lots of young Nigerians who have succeeded and are still succeeding in their legitimate hustle. You are always seeing failure because you are mostly thinking about failure. To cure this spirit, stop speaking and thinking negatively about yourself and even Nigeria. Like someone once said, “you’ll always see yellow buses when you think of yellow buses the same way you’ll always see opportunities when you are thinking of opportunities .” Engage in something legitimate and be positive about it.
A word is enough for the wise.
Written by: Ama.nee