The Nigeria we want, by pupils on 2018 Children’s Day

As children across the country mark the 2018 Children’s Day celebration, they have made a passionate appeal to governments at all levels to create enabling environment to aid their growth, facilitate their wellbeing and prepare them for the task of nation building.

They are, however, deeply worried by the brazen corruption, gross absence of role models, unabated killings of innocent Nigerians, soaring unemployment, very poor/non-judicious application of scarce resources, which have made the country a laughing stock in the comity of nations.

They are therefore calling on governments at all levels to create a conducive environment for them to grow, as posterity would judge them harshly if they bequeath a fractured country to generations yet unborn.

Alawaye Huzenat, a Senior Secondary Three (SS3) student of FIEF Academy, Lagos, is displeased with the poor showing recorded by the country since independence, pointing out that the country has not done well in the comity of nations.

Huzenat, “I think Nigeria should be more successful than it is now. There are no reasons for other nations to look at us with suspicion, because the country is blessed with natural resources and intelligent people.

Huzenat, who is of the conviction that the “government should provide good education for all children in the country, and also provide conducive environment for learning and make it fun,” expressed disappointment at the absence of role models in the country saying, “the leaders are not role models, as they are not governing well. But they should do more to make Nigeria a better place and see to the citizens’ welfare.”

Adebowale Zeenah, a Senior Secondary Three (SS3) also of FIEF Academy, Lagos, is bewildered at the brazen waste of the country’s resources by the political class.

She said: “Nigeria is a very rich country, with good and patriotic citizens. What is needed is a visionary leader to take us to the Promised Land. I think government should also provide free healthcare and constant power supply. Government should make use of our natural resources for the good of the citizens. The leadership in Nigeria is greedy. My vision for Nigeria is for it to become a peaceful nation, where citizens are safe and children are well educated.

Of concern to Oluwatobi Onikoyi, of Rightville School Surulere, Lagos, is the hide and seek, which political leaders appears to play with the governed.

This is why she wants government to create an “avenue for children to inter-face freely with leaders and express themselves on issues that bother them.

According to her, “One of the primary responsibilities of any government is the protection of life and property of its citizens. Also, a government has the responsibility of providing basic amenities for the benefit and comfort of the citizenry.

“As a child with aspirations and burning desire to impact my society positively and make an unprecedented impact among my contemporaries, I would want the government to improve our standard of education. As we all know, education is important to the development of any society. The government should also offer mandatory scholarship to students that excel to enable them attend any tertiary institution in any part of the world.”
The skyrocketing cost of living in the country is what David Adeniji, of Vineville Academy, Alaka, Surulere, wants the government to tackle right away, in view of the harsh effect that it has on parents and the society at large.

Adeniji said, “The cost of living in Nigeria has skyrocketed in recent times, despite the nation’s enormous economic prospect. The cost of textbooks, food items as well as, epileptic power supply worries me. As children, we want a change in the country. Government should listen to our complaints and make the country a better place for students.”

Because agriculture has been relegated to the background and made unattractive, Lateefat Asimolowo, is urging the government to make it attractive so that youths would embrace it, and in the process drive down unemployment figures.

“For me, government should look into the agricultural sector. We all know that Nigeria has fertile land. So, youths should be encouraged to go into farming, which will help to create more jobs. Farmers should be provided with facilities and loans. Government should also do something about our roads to reduce the rate of accidents.

“My vision is that Nigeria would become a great nation, where children are taken care of and prepared for a bright future.”