Govt Must Ensure Legal Opportunities For Youths

ULOKA CHIBUIKE 

The suffering associated with Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was not felt by a huge population of young people with access to the Internet and social media; at least not for the majority of his toxic eight-year reign. The reason is straight: crypto currency investment was profitable at the time. A lot of Internet investments and basic Yahoo helped these young people and various others who were interested; providing for their financial needs. The venture changed lives and jinxed generational poverty for many young people. Today, crypto has dried up after benefiting many and trapping a few latecomers.

Crypto currency and Yahoo saved Buhari ass and distracted many of the young people as it replaced the regular criminality, which included cultism, kidnapping, and other forms of criminalities; they gave way for the birth of investors. Many of our young people had it easy because they made a living through digital currency and Yahoo. Buhari’s wrong economic policies that were enough to set the country ablaze were pardoned, except for #EndSARS.

Today, the stories appear to be returning to the past, as crypto has closed its stocks and Yahoo has transitioned to occultism and mysticism. Armed robbery, kidnapping, and other types of commercial criminality have since returned to the streets for these boys and their new entrants. Hence the growing insecurity across Southern Nigeria.

The best method to combat the growing insecurity across the Southeast today is through real job provision and MSME, which will target this vulnerable young population and take them out of poverty and off the streets.

Anything else will always strike a brick wall, allowing more young, vulnerable people to be recruited into various sectors of criminally armed operators.

Our government must act quickly and decisively, as growing living costs and an inflow of young people onto the street market will further exacerbate insecurity.

Bola Tinubu must act fast, as he won’t be as lucky as the lame-walking Muhammadu Buhari. His administration will suffer for the misgivings of his predecessor if he doesn’t turn the economy around immediately.

When the government fails to secure legal job opportunities for her young people, the victims will develop illicit job opportunities on their own.