OUR FUTURE IN CHAINS

We are not free, yet we claimed to be.

We have not cheats, amongst us are thieves

In bondage we are, yet we live with no borders.

Oh untainted hearts!

Who were pledged to rub on cow dung and palm oil.

While we forget the blood and sweat shed by our forefathers.

The ground was our settling place, it goes on till now.

Our leaders remained insolent, shady and lazy through the reign of the terrorists and fanatics.

While we wait, to be saved from the hellish mist.

                                            We are not free, yet we claim to be.

AJIBARE ADEDOLAPO S.

(Freedom is not free).

At times, I wonder about this uncertainty, I try harder to picture the future but all seems blurry, it seems like my thoughts were been captivated, our future is caged and we are in chains but we do not know, the future will definitely tell. What is happening now determines our future and I hope the things’ happening now doesn’t affect the future. There is no certainty that we own the future, our past was caged by the whites, they brought in their ways and culture, they colonized us and made our kings their mouthpiece, ruled us indirectly and they deceived them with some filthy items and they fell for it due to illiteracy and ignorance. We realized and chased them away which was when we gained freedom on the 1st of October, 1960, till this day we celebrate independence.
Now, we are no longer controlled by the whites, we are now controlled by our leaders who claimed to be our fathers, they are the old papas who refused to rest. They have refused to make us view the future clearly. Amidst us is corruption, they would rather swindle our money and call us to campaign for them; they’d rather take their siblings abroad because they already know the future of Nigeria is chained. We’ve been praying over a bright future but it's just getting blur.
In Nigeria, I must say we aren’t moving forward and we have some things holding everything up. Which has made our future uncertain; some of the things affecting us are as follows:

• Corruption
• Crime and terrorism, specifically Boko Haram
• Insurgency
• Unemployment
• Education and university systems
• The environment
• Infrastructure
• Gender
• Road accident
• The economy.

  Nigeria’s biggest problem is corruption, very sad, corruption is at the root of many of Nigeria’s problems in totality, and corruption takes many forms and infiltrates all political institutions and economic sectors. It is so sad to hear that the government which is set up to build the country and fights any form of corruption is now stealing from her own people. Chapter II Section 15 Subsection 5, of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria states thus: The state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. The question is the state really adhering with the instruction given?

Terrorism attacks are on the rise in Nigeria, which is the increased activity of Boko Haram over the past year. It is a big challenge in the country. Bombings, kidnappings and other violent activities of  Boko Haram prevents us from feeling safe, some lives has been cut short, dreams has been cut short due to their actions, they are well known agents of destruction.
The economic state of Nigeria has really reduced. The state of buying and selling in the country is poor and not encouraging at all. The earnings of the country per year have reduced and affecting the citizens of the country negatively, inflation is a big problem in the country. Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices of goods and services is rising and consequently the purchasing power of currency is falling.
Poverty isn’t out of this. I’ve come to realize with the way things are going, our future might be affected, it’s like we are going back to the ages, the ages of colonialism, our mindset has been colonized, but we do not know. In the coming years, we might not be colonized by the British again but by the evil doers and corrupt leaders in our midst, who has refused to make way for the youth. They say we are the leaders of tomorrow, should we say, tomorrow isn’t here yet? Today determines the future. We used to say, the only way Nigeria can solve its many problems is by giving the youth more opportunities to participate in the government economy and society, but the recent president His Excellency Muhammed Buhari, has introduced a “Not Too Young to Rule” system but it’s not still working because I still see no changes, the old leaders are still fighting for the throne.
In addition, Nigerians should cultivate the habit of being patient, why many indulge in corrupt practices is because they are impatient and wants to make quick money. In developed countries of the world like the United States, many Nigerians are locked up in the prisons and some have been killed because of the corrupt practices they practiced.
We were chased out of our own homes just because of some insurgency, by the time we all run out of Nigeria, Nigeria will no longer have a future. Indeed our future is in chains. 'We are not free yet we claim to be'