In today’s rapidly evolving world, the quest for instant wealth has become worrisome, especially among young people who are pursuing shortcuts to wealth accumulation frequently at the expense of long-term goals and personal well-being, motivated by pressures from society, and the desire for financial independence at a tender age.
In the not-too-distant past, acquiring formal education was seen as the gateway to financial freedom. Parents sent their children to acquire education with the hope that they would get a good job and become rich enough to lift the financial burden of the home from their shoulders.
However, in recent times, the reverse is the case. Many Youths see schooling as a waste of time and resources with a popular rhetorical question “Who school help?”
The attempt by many youths to get rich quickly through all means possible known as the “Get-Rich-Quick Syndrome” has led to several ritual killings, kidnappings, and other fraudulent activities reported through the pages of our national dailies, social media platforms, television, and radio stations.
On September 11, 2024, the Nigerian Police arrested 21-year-old Jeremiah Paul-Awe and three others over the kidnap and murder of a female 17-year-old 100-Level Student of the Biology Department of Federal University Lokoja.
Upon arrest, the 21-year-old disclosed that he drugged the victim and strangled her while proceeding to remove her vital organs as a requirement for the rituals from a native doctor he met on TikTok.
Meanwhile, their female counterparts are not exempted from the quest for wealth. Many have fallen victim to kidnap and murder cases as a result of prostitution which has been packaged as “Hook-Up” while trying to acquire large sums of money with less work.
On September 18, 2024, at the Top View Hotel in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested a 30-year-old suspected internet fraudster, Joseph Efe, after assaulting and tying up a female victim, Olivia Ijeoma Chukwuemeka, in a bid to rob her.
In his confession, Efe claimed he turned to fraud to raise money for the medical bills of his sister who is a sickle cell patient.
While investigations were carried out, the victim disclosed that she was lured through a dating site known as ‘‘Codded runs” where she was promised N100,000 in exchange for a meet-up.
Away from immoral acts of acquiring wealth, many youths continue to fall into the traps of Ponzi scheme operators which include MMM, Racksterli, and Benefix among others promising to give them high returns or profits if they invest a certain amount of money in their companies and eventually dupe them.
Despite several policies put in place by the Government to engage the younger generation in skills acquisition ranging from introducing entrepreneurship courses in secondary and tertiary schools including communities, immoral and illegal ways are still prevalent and welcomed by the youths.
A professor of spiritual humanities at the University of Abuja, Prof. Gboyega Kolawole, in an interview highlighted that the desperation for quick wealth by some youths borders around family upbringing as children who grow up in corrupt environments are likely to be mischievous.
“Corruption has become a tool for nurturing children at home, ‘You must outsmart everything!’ is the catchword of the bad parents.
“Many corrupt officers unconsciously talk about their escapades within the listening distance of their children.
“Children brought up where these factors are prevalent are the monstrous youths that strain the society to the brink today. These monstrous youths are the ones who chant the slogan ‘Everybody is a thief’,” Professor Kolawole said
He added that ill-gotten wealth is usually enticing but the result towards the end is a regrettable one. To convey his message, he cited a report done by Bayo Onanuga and his team showing the pitiable situations of some Nigerian looters years after they had amassed ill-gotten wealth.
“There’s no human deterrence but there is karma. Those who steal the commonwealth and impoverish the citizenry will eventually die poor themselves, it’s only a matter of time. It is a curse of nature.
“Many years ago, Bayo Onanuga and his team at the News media did a survey of the after-life of Nigeria’s looters for 15 years or so, they reported that the majority of the looters were already lacking.
“The few others who had not fallen into poverty were struck by diseases that money could not solve.
He, however, advised that sticking to contentment will help reduce the hunger to acquire wealth by means among the youth.
“You can’t sleep in two rooms at the same time, nor ride two cars simultaneously.
“Getting rid of the vain spirit of greed and inviting the modest spirit of contentment is the solution,” Professor Kolawole added.