Letter To The Nigerian Voters On The Upcoming Elections -By Abubakar Muhammad Usman

I, as a citizen too like you, want to pass this, as an advice for the value of our thumbs. It has been itching my pen so long ago, but, till today my turbid ink dropped. As a citizens, who know their rights, why can’t we ask ourselves a rhetorical question? About how our rights are been raped and we still prefer not trying changing the sound of our drums and our attire.

To vote for someone and be voted for, is legally prescribed for any matured citizen. Mind us, if we are not candidates or we are not in some positions of leadership does not mean we have no rights, and it is not a reason, for us, to vote for anyone who brought some pennies to our way. What I want to say here is that you, especially some of our parents, think that anyone won will be the same as the past one, and it is the main problem we have been facing. Why can’t you think that not all are black?

To my fellow namesakes, youths, we have to be conscious of how we shall bring change. And, we have to know that, weapons, drugs abuse, and political thuggery is not what we shall do to rectify the thunderous changes of not our dreams. We need education, self reliance, and to know the value of ourselves. If not to struggle for the betterment of ourselves, so what shall we do, as the youths? Don’t we see how the affairs undergo now? We, youths, have no value to the politicians like they show on their faces. Because, if we have, they would have not refused to focus on our schools and take their children to study abroad and left us waiting for the calling off the strike! And they would have not take us for thuggery and give us some hundreds of nairas for their campaigns and left their children there to see what happens in televisions!

Where are our dreams — of becoming the icon of change; of serving our father land, of not letting the labours of our past heroes be in vain, of achieving the goal of the one nation bound in peace and unity?

It is paining, seeing youth of the average ages who should be in some place of achieving his childhood dream holding a weapon crying out some name as a campaign. The worst part o the story is that, after election that youth will end up picking no any salary as a government worker, or will not benefit any of the government subsidies due to the lack of the required certificate.

One will understand that, to study is the only way that will lead any youth to the dreamed and right destination. But, to hold a weapon or take part in any of the social violence is erasing the image of humanity for any involved youth.

Abubakar Muhammad Usman, is a Nigerian Poet, Essayist, and a Story-writer from Gombe State, Nigeria. He is a member of Gombe Jewel Writers’ Association, Hilltop Arts Foundation, Creative Club Gombe State University (CCGSU) and currently serves a Press secretary at Human Impact Global Initiative (HIGI). His write-ups have been featured in Daily Trust, Blueprints, The Nation News, Opinion Nigeria, Applied Worldwide Nigeria, and elsewhere.