Some things are unforgivable.
They stir the dead in their graves, make eyes run rivers of tears and cause cardiac spasms. One of such things has just made me suspend my Facebook holiday to let my pen bleed away the sorrow in my heart.
Here’s my letter to Toke Makinwa, a Nigerian vlogger who recently advised the youths of my nation who happen to find themselves between the ages of 17 and 24, to do crazy things, kiss strangers, have one night stands, visit nightclubs, sleep till 12.00 noon and live off their parents.
Madam Toke, the only reason I have chosen to speak to you at this time is that you claim to be a church-goer and Jesus is a name that is not far from your parlance.
If you were a practising satanist, your words would have been consistent with your worldview and I would have no reason to be upset with you.
But, no Madam, you quote the bible with one corner of your lips and then speak perverse things with the other. That is the definition of sacrilege.
Madam Toke, ours is a developing country with loads of challenges and roadblocks, a nation struggling in the deep recesses of poverty, disease, debt and unemployment.
Sanity should have told you that the youth in our country are in desperate need of knowledge, life-changing information, motivation and skills.
Perhaps it did, but you had no ears to listen. So, you dedicated your vlog to the propagation of destructive nonsense.
Madam, as I watched you tell young people to live off their parents and uncles at age 24, my heart broke in two.
Toke, Mhairi Black, a 22 year old is a minister of parliament in Scotland.
A 19 year old, Malala Yousafzai, is a Nobel Laureate.
Mark Zuckerberg, at age 20, established the billion dollar social media platform largely from which the youths you are leading astray have accessed the rubbish you put out there.
Dr Ola Orekunrin at 21, graduated medical school and went ahead to establish West Africa’s first air ambulance service: Flying doctors Nigeria.
Ibukun Awosika started her business at 26. I am certain she was not having one night stands between the ages of 17 and 24.
Shame on you, Madam!
The anaemia ravaging the body of the beautiful young woman I helped manage in South Eastern Nigeria, 7 years ago, would tell you that.
She had post-abortal sepsis, the result of a one-night stand!
Shame on you, Madam!
I am certain that the depression in the eyes of the 13 year old who came to my clinic in rural Nigeria, brutally raped by four 18 year olds would say that to your face.
Yes, the boys were doing crazy things!
Shame on you, Madam!
The hopelessness in the eyes of the lovely lady who asked me for directions to the HIV/AIDS clinic during my med school days will say that to you.
She most probably did kiss a stranger!
Okwa a kpoo ndi wu Nigerian youth role models, gi amakaputa?
SMH!
We do not need your demonic advice, Toke.
At 24, some of us had won international awards, chaired committees on issues plaguing Africa and sat down to dinner with the secretary-general of the United Nations.
At 24, we had published books, mentored younger ones, injected hope into their hearts, and made them have some faith in this failing Nigeria.
And at 24, were were virgins.
Yes, we were.
Malaria took nearly half a million lives last year alone, 90% of which were in Africa.
You will not motivate us to conduct research into this menace. Will you?
Fifty thousand Nigerian women perish at childbirth each year.
Ten million Nigerian children are out of school.
You do not care about these heart-tearing statistics. Do you?
Mba, you will rather advise the future of Africa’s most populous nation to prostitute themselves and get drunk on alcohol till they pass out.
What a waste of an Internet platform!
Not only have you splattered purulent toxins around, Madam, You have also violently opposed the 2nd verse of our National Anthem the words of which reveal the heartcry of our founding fathers.
“Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause. Guide our leaders right, help our youths the truth to know. In love and honesty to grow and living just and true. Great lofty heights attain to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign!”
I am crying, Madam.
Not only have you splattered purulent toxins around, you have committed sacrilege with your church-going, Jesus-mentioning tongue.
And I have just one scripture for you.
“Cursed be (s)he that maketh the blind (the young impressionable Nigerian youth) to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.”
(Deuteronomy 27:18)
— Dr. Uju Okorie.
(Dr. Uju Okorie is a medical doctor, a scientist, a motivational speaker and a wife).