I was thinking this morning..... about Youths and Elders

Youths and Elders

I was thinking this morning......on my way back from work the other day, I turned on the radio to listen to the major news where I get information on the local environment. What I heard got me very confused. The presenter had read out a statement which he credited to 'the Youth wing of the Rivers Elders Forum.' For some seconds I tried to make sense of what 'Youth wing of Elders Forum' really meant. Does it mean these guys are the youngest of the elders or there are youths that are elders?' In my search for understanding, I recalled watching on TV some time back, the visit of youths from the south-south of Nigeria to the then Acting President, Yemi Osibanjo. Watching these so-called youths stand with Osibanjo for group photograph made Osibanjo look like a teenager. I asked myself at the time, if these were youths or elders. Now I know better, they were the 'Youth wing of the Elders Forum.'

 

As I continued to scratch my head in confusion, I recalled a true story a doctor friend, now retired, told me. He had mentioned that some years ago, an expat arrived the organization to resume as a staff supposedly under 60 years, though his looks said otherwise. Like we do in Nigeria, he decided to give him a warm welcome with a vigorous handshake. To his chagrin, the man's hand dislocated from the shoulder. At this point the expat confessed to being in his late seventies. Hmm!!! He must be a member of the youth wing of the elders forum.

 

You know, I have always wondered when that common saying in Nigeria, 'the youths are the leaders of tomorrow' will come to pass. Little did I know that it is already being fulfilled. I found out that the average age of the current Federal ministers is 55 years, with the youngest, Abubakar Malami and Kemi Adeosun being 50 years and Audu Ogbeh, the oldest being 70 years. Hmm!!! Look at the current Senate. Of the 109 seats, there is no senator below 40 years of age. Dino Melaye is the youngest at 42 years and Shaaba Lafiagi the oldest at 76 years. What is clear is that with 83 of the senators (76%) aged between 50 and 70 years, don't make the mistake of thinking the majority of our leaders are elder statesmen. No! No!! No!!! They are simply members of the youth wing of the elders forum.

 

I am not sure what the motivation is for an elder to lay claim to being a youth or whether there is a demographic called youths, but whatever it is, something ain't right, like the Americans will say. Joel 2:28 says, 'And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.' But the way it is in Nigeria, it is the old men dreaming dreams and seeing visions, while the young men are either sleeping and snoring or helping the old men achieve their dreams. Youths, wake up and be truly youths.

 

Happy Sunday.

 

.......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey.