By Prince Chibuike Echem
January 17, 2020
TO THE NORTHERN YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA ( NYCN) /THEIR ELDERS.
The way and manner youths of Northern Nigeria speak on issues of national interest is most of the time worrisome. The reckless manner in which they make some statements makes one wonder if all other regions of our great country are visitors or mere spectators.
It is important to note that we all have the propensity of being similarly sagacious as many of us are even better versed in the use of English.
But in our understanding of how we see our nation as a multi-complex and culturally diverse one (indeed this is what it is), taking also into consideration the benefit of our history and how we know unguarded utterances led to conflicts on a massive scale in the past, we know it is wisdom to be mindful of our collective peaceful co-existence and choose to be mindful of our utterances. This is how people in modern, multi-complex diversities live together.
But let no region or group think that by this they have monopoly of being the ones with better vocal control or mastery of words than others.
Nigeria is a country made up of many other peoples and regions and not only Northern Nigeria, the Northern youths must understand this inherent geographical architecture and wisdom of God, the Creator and respect it.
The erroneous and insensitive utterances from the youths of Northern Nigeria have been going on for quite some time now and even the elders who should naturally call them to order have turned mute and turned a blind eye to such reckless commentaries. We wish to respectfully tell our Northern Elders not to give us the impression that their silence is after all a means of support for a script possibly written by them and handed-over to their youths for voicing.
To us, their continued silence may also give us the impression that they are in support of what we consider the “unguarded and unwarranted” utterances of their youths. If the insinuations turn out to be what we had long feared, then we too would have no choice than to come out vehemently in making our own position clearer on the matter, and will this time do so in due consultation with our elders who would also speak through us, with us gladly acting as their mouthpieces.
We still leave the avenue open for our respectful Northern elders to call their youths to order, as we too have elders who are watching very closely and know how to speak or direct their youths to speak for them.