An evil is pervading our land, destroying and killing our youths. Our value system is vastly being eroded. No one is interested in hard work any more. A sudden craze for quick wealth is the vogue now. Everyone is to blame, government, parent/ guardians, elders.

The pressure on the youths to get rich quick is enormous, most times leading to their early demise plus affecting their desire and need for education. “Go and get the money, the charge from parents and Guardians. No one bothers how the sudden wealth came about. The drums are rolled out by community to celebrate their son that has suddenly made it. How he made it no one is interested in knowing. Parents encourage this craze for sudden wealth by selling their land or even borrowing money to sponsor their sons abroad, a boy without any known qualification or skill to survive over there. You now imagine the unwholesome activities they engage in to survive; they kill, steal and sell drugs.

This craze for sudden wealth is more noticeable amongst the “Ibos” in Nigeria. The unnatural competition to better each other financially is unimaginable. You begin to wonder, what would be, if this enormous energy spent on striving to travel abroad is channeled to pursuit of excellence in education.

South Africa, not Europe or America is now the most lucrative destination for the youths in IBO LAND. For instance a community called Umunze in Isu L.G.A once noted for their youth’s success in the advanced fee fraud scam. One of their youths, traveled to South Africa and made a fortune in just 3 months. Please don’t ask what he did to get the fortune it doesn’t matter. He came back home with the wealth and his community celebrated their successful son. Suddenly every youth there, wants to travel to South Africa for a piece of the action. With the direct support and urging from their parents, they traveled in droves to South Africa.

Six months after no good news from most of them, just some rumors that most are in jail. Suddenly the unexpected, caskets started arriving from South Africa with some of the youths in them. Most family became victims of the death flight from South Africa wailing and lamenting every where you go. Africa analyst was present at such an occasion when a casket arrived at a family compound from South Africa and had a conversation with a community elder, and it went thus “Just look at what we have brought on our self. We sent our youths to their early grave, made our women young widows. I think the Gods are punishing us for, our greed; we receive one casket every month in this community, what a tragedy. This scenario is replicated in most communities in Ibo land. Before this was not the case, Ibos were known for their hard work and enterprise, they were also their brother’s keeper. Communities then contributed to send their brilliant children abroad for studies. You may want to ask what suddenly happened. Why the sudden craze for early wealth? Why is education no longer valued? Questions, Questions…

One thing is certain though; the Ibos cannot continue in this evil part, a change is needed if the race wants to survive. First we must place an emergency ban on traveling abroad for our youths without any convincing reason. We must have in place a committee of responsible elders that will vet all requests for traveling by youths in Ibo land to ascertain the genuine ones. A total orientation of the Ibo youth is necessary to refocus them. We must revert back to the former practice of frowning and rejecting any sudden wealth. The world Ibo congress must make itself relevant by taking a stand on this issue.