A former minister of petroleum resource, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said that societal values have disintegrated to the extent that online fraudsters otherwise known as yahoo boys have become role models in Nigerian society.
The former minister spoke at the event organised by the Ijaw National Development Group.
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The former minister said “The ones that have swag, the yahoo-yahoo boys as my son would say, these, in short, are the role model they are looking at.
“These are the ones that reinforce negative societal norms and values.
“The former minister concluded, there are no shortcuts to working your way up the ladder of life.
“Progressing in life in work and relationship marital or otherwise is always dependent on consistent and hard work”.
Like the Hausa saying “Kayi amfani da fadin malam amman kada kayi koyi da halinsa,” literally means (Understand the message not the messenger).
There is nothing wrong for Diezani to preach moral values to Nigerians and condemned how most of our productive youths turned to yahoo boys.
Of course, there is a growing concern about the rising cases of cyber crime in the country and the world at large.
These crimes among the youths have led to the enactment of laws by many countries to contain it including Nigeria.
However, the million naira questions begging for answers are: How do the Nigerians youths found themselves into this unlawful thriving business?
What motivated them?
Are their actions due to the country’s hostile environment where survival remains for the fittest?
It would have been good if the former minister had pondered a little bit and reflected on the causes of this mess.
To begin with how Nigerian youths find solace in the yahoo-yahoo business, one has to look at the country’s rate of unemployment.
In the last two years or more precisely, unemployment rose exponentially in the country.
Unemployment and underemployment came at a time when our universities, polytechnic and colleges of education continue to churn out many graduated studentS into the labour market.
While I agree with the former minister on the disintegration of the societal values in the country, which made the yahoo boys become role models, lack of job opportunities among the youths has also contributed greatly towards this bad trend.
What about the menace of corruption? Politics which should have been used to foster growth and national development have become a gravy train for wealth accumulation.
The former minister can not deny this simple fact.
Within a twinkle of an eye, funds mean for educational or socio-economy development can be tempered with or outrightly looted.
Diezani should have made a distinct difference between the yahoo boys who swindle their victims at the slightest opportunity and our politicians who stole public funds with impunity.
While some segment of the society looks at yahoo boys as their role model,other emulate the likes of Diezani who feed fat or are living in opulence from the proceeds of corruption.
The former minister’s message is nothing but the truth.
Let us understand or get the messages she is passing not as a former powerful minister who has been on run since 2015 on the alleged financial embezzlement.
Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State
