Cracked generation

The world as we see today is moving toward a more sophisticated standard of living. This sophistication created by human hands in their bid to get the best out of nature can only be matched by a more rational, humanistic, and God-fearing approach. Thus, this sophistication demands a quick paradigm shift to be able to improve on the lives of citizens.

Sierra Leone as a nation has gone through so many tragic incidents that have taken us millions of miles away from the incorporation of human dignity and promotion of the common good in our nation. First, we plagued ourselves with war that drowned us into the well of absolute poverty, loss of human capital, insecurities, and a dreadful economic stage. As we were recovering from this, we got a shock from EBOLA. This one too gave us a more unpleasant scenario. As we were springing back from the claws of EBOLA, then the earth poured her anger on us and swallowed our loved ones. We were still grieving the effect of the mudslide when COVID-19 Sprayed its venom on us.

All these tragic incidents should help us to live a more committed, rational, humanistic, and God-fearing life. Our history as a nation is very unpleasant, but if we are good students of history, we can remake our history by learning from our weaknesses and transforming them into our strengths.

But guess what! When history falls into the hands of 'cracked generation', they make it more deplorable by embracing attributes that contradict their positions as citizens. By 'cracked generation' I mean a generation that is weak enough to make sense of their history and spring back with renewed enthusiasm for a better future. A generation that is poor in cooperation and collaboration. An unpatriotic generation. A generation that is crippled by partisan politics and gross indiscipline. A generation that demeans the integrity of human dignity and God's creations.

We indeed inherited a weak, broken, and shattered state from our colonial masters. The question here is, have we made it better? This question continuously stares at us even when we tend to offer faction pleasing answers to satisfy our ego. The truth of the matter is that we have not done well and this is because as citizens we have embraced those things that militate against national sustainability. This point to the fact that our beloved nation, whose expectation is spelt out in our national anthem is being trampled in the mud by corruption, insensitivity, faction biases, weak education, and attitudinal and behavioural defects.

Our nation continues to wallow in uncertainty about the future because of weak education. Education as it is commonly put, 'liberates people'. This is because of the level of enlightenment that accompanies it. Education opens our minds to understand the past, and to live the present rationally for a better tomorrow. Far from this, our educational system keeps on deteriorating day by day. We have moved education from a more focused driven centre to malpractice-enhanced education. Students are no longer interested in logical research, reading, and focused group discussion. All they desire is the mighty hand of their money, body, and connection. This paradigm shift is very unhealthy for a nation that had had a series of tragic incidents. This is because we are weakening the powerhouse of our energy. Indeed, a cracked generation.

Aristotle evaluated state as the entity that fulfils the highest needs of citizens. His evaluation was based on the virtue driven capability that enables man to achieve his/ her full potential. Thus, a nation requires citizens who exhibit the virtue of patriotism to be able to in turn fulfil the needs of its citizens. Sometimes, we cry about the poor state of our beloved nation, often and again with the full energy of a blame game, failing to realize that we all are the problem.

Whenever policies are not centred on indigenous needs, it shows a sign of a cracked generation. Whenever citizens manipulate development-driven policies, it shows a sign of a cracked generation. Whenever we depend on inadequate education, corruption, bribery, spreading of negative perceptions, and do not try to recoil to those things that are synonymous with our positions as citizens, we represent a cracked generation.

So, my fellow womb mates, we can make our beloved nation proud by putting it at the centre of our attention. We do this knowing quite fully that she will give back to us what we invest. This is because, when we plant environmental degradation, we reap it in the form of pollution, disease infection, flooding, and economic loss. When we plant crippled education, we reap failed successors. When we plant unpatriotic actions, we make our very home the recipient of refuse. When we plant unprofessionalism, we reap poor services. When we plant exclusive mechanisms, we reap indifference among citizens. This, therefore means that it's time to wake up and align ourselves with what we must do to change our narration.