Do we ever learn?
No, I doubt.
________________
The buzz in my head about this topic has been growing bigger every day, and it has been so difficult to voice out on the platform where I normally do because of some personal reasons.
Every day, every election year, we keep having conversations about how bad it is for youths to be mobilised by politicians to anchor campaigns and engage in acts of thuggery. Everyone keeps pointing out how politicians don't get their children involved, and yet, they mobilise the youths to do all of that. The few ones who get their children involved have them heavily guarded by security personnel, while the common man guards themselves.
Whenever this topic is discussed, everyone vows that they can never be used by politicians, but after that discussion, they go on to do the opposite, and it is very sickening to think about it.
"Do they do that for the little money that comes their way?"
Sometimes, it is not all about the money. They quickly get brainwashed and pushed into the battlefield with mere promises. What do I mean by this?
Let me tell you about a recent occurrence.
In my city, some days ago, the politicians mobilised a large number of youths to participate in a "1 million-man march" for their party. Meanwhile, the political party is one that 90% of Nigerians are against, and the youths who were mobilised had, in one way or another, once vowed never to get involved with the political party because of how the political party has been bringing pain to Nigerians. Not just that, the city hasn't had electricity for many months, yet they surrendered themselves to be used by the same politicians who have abandoned the city.
W
When I saw the crowd, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"Are these not the guys who said they wouldn't allow elections or any campaign to hold if the current government didn't see to the electricity issue the city is facing?"
The crowd was so large that I'm very sure that everyone in it couldn't have been paid. Maybe a very small amount of money would be given to them, along with promises afterwards.
How can people be so low in their thoughts and easily brainwashed?
The next day, another political party group went to do a "1 million-man march" in one of the biggest cities in my state. A group of thugs from another party attacked them in an incident that involved gunshots, and some of them were victims of gunfire.
Now ask again:
Are these not the youths they keep preaching to, telling them never to allow themselves to be used by politicians because these politicians don't use their children?
Sometimes, I just feel like this world should end. Let everyone go and rest.
Thanks for reading.