by Gabriel Olatunji

I’m sick of young people telling me politics is dangerous and that’s the reason they are staying out of it   I will like to tell you that staying out of it is more dangerous.

Life is sweet, life is pleasurable, and life is desirable while death is ‘detestable’.

You do not want to die neither would you wish death for your family and friends no matter the situation. But whether you like it or not ‘death is imminent’. There is nothing you can do about it – you will die!

We should think about this when we are 18, 25 or 45 – you should think about it all the time. Hopefully, it will help us think straight and act like men of strength instead of weaklings. I’m sorry if I hurt your ego but what is the use of your personal ego when your country has no pride at all, when our green passport is a source of shame outside our shores, when we have shoeless people determined to make our future clueless, when all we do is talk-talk-talk without action, when Nigeria is at the brink of break-up and we are not taking the bull by the horn.

When we were growing up they told us ‘we are the leaders of tomorrow’, this is tomorrow and we are far from the position of leadership. If ‘leadership by position’ cannot be taken at the moment then every youth must take up ‘leadership by personhood’; we must act as leaders, we must make conscious decisions that will help move our nation forward, we must organize, educate, mobilise the young and old towards a better Nigeria now and towards 2015.

I’m sick of young people telling me politics is dangerous and that’s the reason they are staying out of it – I will like to tell you that staying out of it is more dangerous. Why did I say that? How many government officials have died as a result of Boko Haram attacks? How many politicians live in perpetual darkness? How many political office holders moan and weep over little things that we do? Sadly, none.

We are not too young to make positive impact in our nation, we are not too young to speak up and challenge the government.

All I ask is that we don’t delay any longer. Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today (for yourself or your country) because for every delay we will continue to be in denial of the dividend of democracy.

As for me, it is pleasant to die at 30 when I’m sure my children can lead at 30, I have no problem giving my life for a cause when I’m sure that eternity will remember my name.

I drop my pen with an admonition like a preacher would do, ‘live everyday like it’ll be your last’ and ‘you’ with Nigeria will be better for it.

See Part one: OPINION: The best event to attend regularly is a burial occasion 

—————————-

About the author: Gabriel Olatunji is different things to different people. He hopes to know what he is to you someday. Follow @gabrielola1 on twitter (buzz him to follow back).

 

Editor’s note: Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.