Opinion: Lazy is an understatement to qualify some youths in Nigeria | Isah Bala

After taking my time to read the defence, mudslinging and name calling following the President Muhammadu Buhari's speech on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Business Forum held at Westminster where he was quoted to have called Nigerian youths lazy, I am of the opinion that lazy is an understatement to qualify some youths in Nigeria.

By and large, if we must have a change of baton in this country we must be ready to face reality and tell ourselves the bitter truth.

I am pleased that the president speech brought this issue to public attention but where am more pained is the fact that President Buhari didn't state it categorically that some Nigerian youths are lazy because they hing their success on gambling (Nairabet, Betnaija, Lotto etc) hoping to turn overnight millionaires while their counterparts in the same country and elsewhere are engaged with lucrative business, championing innovations and leading in others walks of lives.

The rate at which some youths in this country take gambling and tied their destiny to it something to worry about.

While still in school, I've seen student who spent his school fee on Nairabet, hoping to be millionaire and leave school to enjoy his effortless cash and was later rusticated from school after failing to win in Nairabet and couldn't pay up his school fee. God knows what he's doing now.

I've seen able-bodied youths who wander around the streets with their tickets of games booked, assuring themselves that they don't need to undergo any stress before making it in life. They always make reference to one Mr. A that become millionaire through Nairabet and so and so. After this assurance, don't be surprised to see them looking frustrated. Yes, the answer is "O'boy ticket don cut oo", that's the language.

Laziness is an understatement for this category of youths. Everyday they look for fifty or hundred naira to book for games while hoping to turn  millionaires overnight. Life easy like that?  If it's that easy, all Nairabeters, Naijabeters and hopeless Babas dragged from city to their villages because they couldn't meet up with their responsibilities  after wasting their youthful time on gambling would have become multi millionaires.

I know those who have tied their destinies to gambling may say they've seen people who become millionaire through Nairabet and other forms of gambling, I wouldn't displace that but it's one out of thousands.

My brother stop being lazy, think of what you can do to make ends meet, stop endless dreaming, stop giving yourself worries everyday. Think outside the box of gambling!