Many young people today are so engrossed in the search for white collar jobs that they hardly find time to make use of the talent imbued in them. It is this God-given talent that can make them productive if only they can give it a moment’s thought. GABRIEL EWEPU writes.
An idle hand is the devil’s work tool, says an old adage.? In Nigeria today, there is an army of unemployed youth. For most of them, the emphasis is on white collar jobs. There is nothing wrong with aspiring for that if it is available. In the Nigerian situation, it is not. And that brings to the fore the necessity for one to use what one has to get what one needs. There is no gain-saying the fact that most of these youth are mentally, physically sound and healthy.
Unfortunately, they feel not too attracted to positive enterprise that could make them relevant and responsible. Rather, their idleness and pride has made them to fall victim of people who hack their youthful strength for evil dead.?
Many of them have the wrong perception of some trades and jobs people do to earn a living, and be responsible.? They look down on jobs like, welding, horticulture, car wash, chalk production, carpentry, tailoring, water and newspaper vending, electrical, electronics technician, printing, among others.
Mr. Aju John, a welder said he had to summon courage and determination to learn welding and fabrication after he dropped out from secondary at the age of 16.? Meanwhile, he had engaged himself as a commercial bus conductor and later bricklaying job.? Now, John is a master of his trade.? He goes home with over N15, 000 a day, also has built an eight bedroom apartment for rent. He is able to provide for himself and his family also has two workers and about four apprentices, he had trained over 11 apprentices who are also doing their own welding business. He has established another welding shop.
Mr. Joseph Effiong, a chalk producer who was a teenager when he ventured out determined to engage himself in an enterprise that would make him earn a living.? Effiong had to travel to Lagos for the training to acquire the skill in chalk and marker-pen production after he saw the advert in one of the newspapers he was selling as a vendor.? Joseph is now an expert in chalk production as he supplies to over 52 public and private schools in Abuja and other neighbouring States.Also, Effiong has employees and apprentices and he makes profit of over N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) in a term.
Mr Tanko Yunana, an horticulturist, is in his mid 30s and has made life comfortable for himself with the proceeds from the flowers he nurtures and sells to residents of Abuja, as he supplies to both individuals and corporate organisations. He does landscaping and beautification on contract basis as well.? Yunana has built a house, got married, sponsoring his siblings’ education, and taking care of his aged mother in the village.? He is a graduate but decided to venture into the business of nurturing and selling flowers, after he served in his elder brother’s flower nursery for over four years in Abuja.?
Mr. Steven Ukwuchome Ojoka, is a 23 year old young man, who is a diploma holder in computing, had dropped out of school when he was in JSS 1, but was committed and determined as he decided to start from somewherde. He engaged himself with a car wash business in Abuja in 2002. Ojoka was able to eke out a living for himself, support his parents, and sponsor his education to bag a diploma certificate in computing.
Mr Christopher Onwukwe, a printer who had a determination to become a responsible young man, was living with his uncle at Sokoto, while he was a student in the secondary.
He decided to learn the trade under his uncle who was a printer.? Throughout his secondary school days, he was learning the printing job, even worked for his uncle after he had acquired the skill and experience.? Today, Onwukwe is having his own printing machines, workers and apprentices under him.? He has used the proceeds to sponsor his education, and now has diploma in accounting.? He has built his house, got married and lives comfortably.?
These are true life stories of what some youths have done to overcome their circumstances. They adopted a practical approach to life and it paid off.
Some on the other hand make themselves candidates of motivational speakers who tell those ways to make quick money without hard work. It is pathetic to see some of them despise little beginning to be hired and paid ‘pea-nuts’ to carry out protest and demonstrations by some frustrated politicians to destroy lives and property and in the process, they are injured or killed, while others are chatting with security agents.???
The idle youth does not have focus and direction for his or her life, and he or she is easily blown by evil wind.? With such aimless idle lifestyle, the future looks bleak.