Why are our unemployed youths often accused of being responsible for the pervasive crimes that afflict the society? This blanket painting of our young men and women with evil tar does no good to the ego of the innocent ones.
A youth who has gone through the rigours of formal education or even a vocational training has done what is expected of him.
That he has not secured a place of employment or the capital to practise the trade or vocation he has learned is not any longer his fault, but the failure of the society.
The educated or trained unemployed youth is merely a victim of the polity. Those in government have a duty, indeed an obligation, to ensure that a citizen who is equipped and willing to work should be enabled to do so.
If leaders can curb their propensity to cut corners and refrain from all types of corruption, there will always be vacancies to be filled.
There is a natural wastage in the public service every year as a result of retirement, resignation or death of serving personnel.
If things were to go seamlessly, vacancies thus created should be routinely filled in a transparent administrative manner. This can be achieved by simply moving officers up to fill the vacuum. Formal steps can then be taken to invite qualified school-leavers to apply so as to fill the inevitable space after the shuffling.
But what do we see? Officers regularly increase their length of service by reducing their ages through swearing of patently false affidavit. The system seems to allow such a crime that makes a man of 40 years of age to be in a department where he had put in 30 years. Meanwhile, his first three children have left tertiary institutions and waiting for employment.
Further, are they youths who brainwash teenagers to go on suicide missions by strapping explosive devices on them and sending them to crowded motor parks, markets, churches and mosques? Are they youths who give expensive pistols, AK-47s with their ammunitions to full grown adults and some youths to ambush people and rob them or even kidnap them for ransom?
What of the receivers of stolen goods and stolen human beings? Are they really youths who own residential palaces and ranch-like hide-outs manned by fierce dogs and personal guards armed to the teeth?
By the way, would you say that a man or woman out at odd hours in the night in full armour to commit crime is ‘unemployed?’ Unless the words ‘Employment’ and ‘Unemployment’ have lost their meanings. He could be a youth, but certainly he cannot be said to be unemployed.
Adolescents and adults who are truly brought up by parents that live up to their responsibilities will not easily be led into crime just because they have not secured office jobs.
Irresponsible government officials are merely being given a subterfuge under which they hide when we blame unemployed youths for crimes committed by employed adults who are too greedy to let go of the posts they occupy in the administration.
Tell your sons and daughters who are frantically hunting for good jobs after their graduation that they are not criminals.
Reassure them that mother luck would shine on them one day.
Admonish them that crime is not the way out of temporary job search.
And finally, remember that in your own home and family there are youths yet to secure meaningful satisfying jobs.
Are they among those you refer to as “criminals”?