From leadership and nation-building perspective, I am worried about what our youth will relish from the display of some so-called role models and leaders in Nigeria. One notable exception to the wrong culture being entrenched by influencers of our youth is Anthony Joshua, the heavyweight boxing champion from Sagamu, Nigeria.
I’m sure you will clamour for a national award for Anthony Joshua based on his feet at work and for portraying Nigeria and United Kingdom in good light to the world through boxing. I will instead want to give a national award to someone else for Joshua’s exploits and comportment so far.
The world is changing. The youth are changing at a faster speed than the world. As the world rewards specific skills, talents and behaviours, the youth are quick to desire to be that skill or aptitude for the fame and the reward it gives. In leadership parlance, if you want something to be repeated and repeated, reward it. In other words, a behaviour that is rewarded will be massively repeated.
Our youth are encouraged to find their talents and build entrepreneurial skills around it to the masters of their giftings. In today’s world, young adults and kids want to be like the celebrities- the sports stars, musicians and be in any vocation that evokes limelight. They have finding role models in these people. They are massively influenced by the lifestyle of people who appeared to be rich and famous. One thing we need to give to these celebrities is that most of them are reaping the reward of discovering their callings and the boldness to follow through. Behind a successful athlete is discipline and sacrifice to be what he or she is today. It is no joke to be outstanding in a competitive world.
However, the set of behaviours being exuded at stardom by these superstars’ models worries me. The naïve youth are watching and copying the actions as what makes up the person and the stardom. One unfortunate outcome from this is that we are modelling the future we don’t desire for our children.
Let’s check a few examples of what stardom have been giving to our society to emulate in recent time. One is a great vocalist and became world famous with is magic single a few years ago. He rewarded us by impregnating five girls and turned them into the baby mamas. He ended up with one of them with four having children with little or no attention from him. However, he is responsible for their financial upkeeps.
Another one came into limelight, and he is very arrogant on twitter abusing people of failure. His yardstick is money. You are not making money as I’m making, so leave morality, I can do whatever I want. He showed wealth and love on social media lavishly. He is also with baby mamas and controversially fights and reconcile with them now and then. Another is a man but claimed to have been born a woman. He is now dressing like a woman claiming to be a risk to her new self and other people. He is a gossip news headliner, and I wonder why attention is being given to someone who has no moral worth for emulation. Another soloist is also with baby mamas and now chases older women as a lifestyle, though with more civility in manner and approach on social media.
I know these guys have the rights to live the way they have chosen. But being celebrities have automatically placed them in positions where their followers, mostly the youth, will emulate them for one or two things. Primarily, the behaviours they exude will be interpreted as a part of stardom and copy by the stars of tomorrow. After all, nothing is wrong in having baby mamas if you are rich and famous like superstars X, Y, X and others.
If you feel these guys are showing youthful exuberance and because they have money, you are wrong. It is merely part of our non-appreciation for moral standard or falling standard. Degenerating behaviour is not just among these youngsters.
The new comedy at our national house by the ‘powerful lawmaker’ is evidence of lengthy moral self-indulgence degenerating from one generation to other. I wish and will accept if Hon Ado Doguwa claims the video where he was showing his four respectful wives at the house representative is not real and a video shop. Powerful parliamentarian Doguwa, your show of personal assets and baby producing factories are not what you are paid to discuss with the taxpayers’ money on the floor of the assembly. I don’t know your motives for this, and there is no rejoinder to explain such to Nigerians yet. One thing is clear: leaders who showcase this type of power and genital prowess are contributing more to the backwardness of the north and Nigeria in the long run. If you think my last statement is wrong, check what the Emir of Kano said a few days ago. He said the culture of marrying many wives and producing many children is responsible for poverty and backwardness in the north.
Hon Ado Doguwa has been seen donating computers and education materials to help to educate the people of his Dadin Kowa LGA in Kano. He also distributed fertilizers to farmers, and he is a member of one committee or the other. One wonders why the show of private power for someone who is perceived as a power parliamentarian by his colleagues. Could it just be a period of comic relief in the house of representative?
Be it as it may be the action of the power parliamentary contradicts what is required at this stage in our national discussion. The house is being funded by the impoverished Nigerians to engage in qualitative debates with its time and help in solving the numerous economic and security challenges the nation is facing. As a nation, we are more divided than before, more threatened by religious bigotry, banditry and leaders who see nothing go in doing things what will promote equity and unity. There are more serious issues to be discussed than impressing Nigerians with Doguwa household of babies and wives.
Back to my headline, so you won’t tag it as deceiving. Anthony Joshua is an exceptional example in the ways our youth and celebrities should behave for moulding the future generation. As a world champion with wealth denominated in the Great British Pound (with no noise like those with naira denominated fortunes), Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua has remained humble in defeat and victory. The motivational boxer (my name for him) is devoid of arrogance to his opponents and audience. He recently showed how well trained he is and the massive influence of his parents when he prostrated to present his world boxing belts to the president. He could have called off the advice to do that for being educated and brought up in a different culture.
Anthony Joshua is as at now an example of a celebrity we need to showcase to our youth. I know he deserves to the respected and honour with a national award for his exploit in boxing. However, the parents of Anthony Joshua have done well bringing up this champion with values beyond fame and money. If fame and money have not magnified harmful vices in Femi as at now and unlike others, we should have a national award to reward parents of successful people who are good role models to others. I will not give Femi Joshua any award now but would clamour for national awards to be given to Yeta Odusanya and Robert Joshua for a good parenting job that is portraying this young Nigerian as a right product and positive ambassador for the youth.
BABS OLUGBEMI
