Rome was Burning, Nero was Fiddling!! Young Nigerians are Dying, We Must not Stay Silent!!

Bear with me if I do not come across as articulate as I should, I am emotionally down (read in tears) reading about the Murders of Ukeoma Ikechukwu and Obinna Okpokiri, two NYSC members who died in course of serving their nation… It is ironical, isn’t it, dying for a nation that does not give a hoot about you (I digress; this is about the death of these fellow Nigerians and not about Nigeria).

I remember calling my mom in tears on the second day of my NYSC orientation camp in Isialangwa, Abia State, I was crying because I had been queuing up in the rain, the sleeping arrangement was appalling, the food was horrid, hygiene was non-existent, in the scheme of things extremely mundane issues but my distress call got my mother panicking and making plans to get me back to Lagos ASAP… Ukeoma and Obinna’s mothers are never going to get the chance of responding to their sons’ distress calls not to talk of getting them back home. Their lives have been cut short for selfish and wicked reasons.

My friend Foluke, a medical doctor is currently serving in Katsina state, she was in the market when the riot started, fortunately she’s alive to narrate her experience. She had to park her car in front of an Islamic school, remove her car number plates and beg some indigenes for an hijab to disguise herself. They were kind enough to hide her in their house till things settled and she returned home

Every time I get a Blackberry broadcast message about a corper in distress or dying, or read an article or a tweet, I think to myself, it could have been me and my heart bleeds. I keep visiting Ukeoma's Facebook page to read his last status, I can almost recite it by heart now. This young man was proud to serve his nation, he stood for truth and integrity and he was rewarded with death.

Ukeoma we know, Obinna we know, there are several others dead, some injured and some unaccounted for. At some point or the other, we are all called to serve our nation and posted to unfamiliar places. Against our will, we respond to this deadly “clarion call” like these ones did. Let’s not fold our hands and watch these young ones die in vain. As a group of “Nigerian Youths” we succeeded in promoting mass voter participation, as a group we can also seek justice for these ones.

Let us not stay silent and pretend this is not happening. Let us seek justice for the departed and the remnant corpers who are yet to be evacuated from these areas. Kindly join 100,000 Youths call for Justice for the family of slain Youth Corpers and sign an accompanying petition here. It’s a petition seeking compensation for the families of the department and pushing for a bill at the National Assembly to make NYSC optional or thoroughly reformed. Also, please spread the message, let's push for numbers!

Thank you, God bless you and God bless Nigeria!