General
Nigerian Youth and Urgency of a New Paradigm
By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi
Even when there is no codified word or structured documentation adequate enough to evaluate a public office holder, there exists presently, a compelling need to evaluate the present administration in the country, via a broader view of the people’s paramount concerns and legitimate expectations in order to unravel its values of fiscal discipline, prudent management, robust and continuous community engagement, effective and efficient public communication, and excellent public service delivery for the benefit of this generation and the next.
This logical, rational and practical belief is predicated on the current unpalatable happenings and failures recorded in recent times and traceable to the current administration.
Out of many such instances, one that cries for attention is; how well has the present administration at both state and federal levels treated its critical mass-the youths?
Aside from enjoying demographic advantage and being in possession of a commanding majority, providing an answer to this question/evaluation is important because Nigerian youth will provide the future leadership needs of the country.
Take, as an illustration, in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari promised during his electioneering to work with the youths. But contrary to that promise, eight years after such a promise was made, the Nigerian youth are still relegated to the political background.
Again, even when they are celebrated daily on the world stage for their superlative showings and performance, right here in Nigeria, they are judged to be ‘lazy’ by the same administration that promised to work with them.
The first of such shock came to the youths shortly after the 2019 general election and Mr President submitted to the National Assembly for screening the list of 43 ministerial nominees. Separate from the disproportionately skewed list screaming with evidence that youth’s political highway remains slippery, rough and riddled with potholes and hopelessness, the list eloquently laid bare an ingrained falsehood of the administration.
In the same style, not only did the ministerial list make nonsense of the seemingly gains of the not-too-young-to-run campaign embarked on by the youths in July 2017, which brought about the amendment of some sections of the nation’s constitution to accommodate youths desirous of seeking political or elective positions, what is now left at this stage, of course, is the question of the extent to which youths should draw political lessons from the episode or whether to continue exerting power on inglorious political functions they are reputed for without result.
Also in 2018, Mr President while attending an international function, stated among other things that; “a lot of them (Nigerian youths) haven’t been to school and they are claiming, that Nigeria has been an oil-producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing and get housing, health care, and education”, a remark that Nigerian youths and the vast majority of other Nigerians received with disbelief, grief, and rage.
Certainly, in my view, if there is a sterling lesson the youths must draw from the asymmetrical structure of appointments by the present government at the centre, it is the new awareness that thuggery and other illicit political functions at the polls cannot guarantee a political position for the youths. Rather, what guarantees political appointment and position is the possession of a keen sense of independence, self-respect and oneness and insistence on choosing the right people as leaders during the election.
To explain, throughout the period of the 2019 general election, the Nigerian youths hobnobbed and romanced these politicians without knowing that our political leaders are experts in adopting the tactics of the coquette.
‘A tactic that makes the public fall in love with excitement while these leaders remain inwardly detached; while keeping them in control. What the youths must learn from this exclusion is that to gain relevance politically, they must develop the will to work out their political salvation by recognizing ‘that there is little hope until they become tough-minded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truth, and downright ignorance.
Regardless of whether the appointments in the past seven years were made by Mr President to achieve a particular purpose—such as tackling the nation’s troubled economy, insecurity, unemployment or improvement of power generation, the truth is that looking at the lopsided architecture of those that Mr President appointed in 2019- predominantly made up of familiar names that did not spectacularly perform during Mr President’s first term, coupled with their present below average performance, the youth should know that as the nation races to 2023 general election, the hour has come for a shift in paradigm.
The above is not to suggest that this non-appointment of the youths to political positions in the country is limited to the present administration or just happening for the first time; as no administration in Nigeria can boast of clean hands. The challenge may exist in overt and glaring forms among the Buhari administration but may have existed in a hidden and subtle manner in others.
In my view, these are happening because Nigerian youths apart from playing visionless politics, they are in the words of Professor Wole Soyinka full of spunk abroad, but gas at home. Coupled with the reality that our nation is unfortunately blessed with a huge number of ‘coercive’ and selfish leaders as against truly ‘democratic, pacesetting and coaching leaders.
As an illustration, like a prophet that was supernaturally informed of it and supernaturally moved to announce it, I recall writing a piece dated August 2017 titled; Nigerian youths; celebrated abroad and despised at home, pointed out that the Nigerian government right from independence has evidently proved not to be interested in, or paid adequate attention to supporting youths involvement in politics or holding of public offices, but are merely concerned with clarifying the problem of youths apathy in politics without a solution. I also in that piece submitted that the only twist to that narrative is that youths have visible but ignorantly endorsed these underground plots through their actions and inactions.
Conversely, political pundits have argued that the youths should not be blamed for their inability to occupy political or leadership positions in the country, be it elective or appointment, but blamed on the nation’s inglorious departure from politics of ideas to money politics or what is currently referred to as the politics of the highest bidder which the youths have no financial muscles to partake in and therefore settled for the easiest option at their disposal which is praise singing.
Despite the virtues and attributes of the above positions, I still hold an opinion that the bulk of the blame rests at the doorstep of the youths as the list of political actions not taken was lengthy and worrisome.
As an incentive, if the youths had during the build-up to the 2019 general elections, identified the areas which really hold the key to political success, and apply the right mix of resources, make collaborative efforts and discipline, they should have been able to put themselves in a position of real competitive superiority using their demographic advantage.
To, therefore, catalyse the process of reversing this appalling trend, and form a force that must not be ignored, Nigerian youths must first understand the threat fear poses for a reason. They need to remember that under ‘right circumstances; fear can trigger the temptation to surrender to a demagogue promising strength and security in return.’ The 2018 general elections and the current political situation in the country stand as vivid examples.
Finally, Nigerian youths must not continue to agonize over such developments but wake up and do something civil and positive. On their part, our leaders should not live under the illusion of misguided cleverness but should ‘study history, study the actions of the eminent men, to see how they conducted themselves and to discover the reasons for their victories or their defeats so that they can avoid the latter and imitate the former.’
Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via je*********@***oo.com/08032725374
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Osun State Government has announced plans to institute legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following an alleged freezing of the state’s bank account, describing the action as unlawful and capable of disrupting governance.
The Governor of the state, Mr Ademola Adeleke, through the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, made this disclosure on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke has directed him to challenge the anti-graft agency’s decision at the Federal High Court.
It was widely reported that the anti-graft agency issued a “Post No Debit” directive to the management of First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled, effectively restricting transactions.
He argued that while the commission has the authority to investigate financial records, it cannot freeze a state government’s accounts without first obtaining a court order.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it can’t freeze the accounts without an order of court.
“This step will affect government running, but we will challenge the move and ensure that the agency acts within the ambit of the law,” Mr Jimi-Bada said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police officers stormed the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some members of the bank’s staff.
Mr Ogungbile maintained that Governor Adeleke was not deploying state resources for his re-election campaign and urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of its actions on public services and the welfare of residents.
Governor Adeleke had earlier raised concerns over an alleged plan by the EFCC to freeze all Osun State Government accounts, including those of senior government officials.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as unlawful and politically motivated.
He alleged that the planned freezing of the accounts was intended to cripple government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Governor Adeleke further insisted that there was no legal justification for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacks the authority to take such action against a state government without due legal process.
The EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A Lagos-based bureaux de change (BDC) operator, Mr Dabo Malam Ardi, has been convicted and sentenced by Justice F. N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The forex trader was sentenced by the court on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, to two months’ imprisonment, with an option of N80,000 fine for engaging in illegal foreign exchange transactions.
Mr Ardi was convicted and sentenced by the court after pleading guilty to a one-count charge bordering on an illegal foreign exchange transaction.
He was brought before the temple of justice by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge bordering on an illegal foreign exchange transaction.
“That you, Dabo Malam Ardi, sometime in 2026 in Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this court, engaged in a foreign exchange transaction other than through the official foreign exchange market and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (Establishment, etc.) Act, 1994, and punishable under Section 11(2) of the same Act,” the charge read.
You Don’t Need Mods to Have Fun
It’s pretty common for people to throw in dozens of mods before they even begin a new world. Bigger caves, new mobs, extra weapons, hundreds of blocks. It sounds fun, and sometimes it is.
But after trying all that, I usually end up going back to the basic game.
There’s something nice about joining a world where everyone plays with the same rules. No complicated mechanics. No long list of commands to remember. Just Minecraft as it was meant to be played.
That’s one reason a minecraft vanilla smp still attracts so many players. The game already gives you plenty to do without changing everything.
Every Server Feels Different
People often think vanilla servers are all the same. They really aren’t.
I’ve joined servers where everyone built together in one town. I’ve also played on worlds where players spread out for thousands of blocks and only met each other once in a while.
The rules can be almost identical, but the community changes everything.
One server might become a trading hub with shops on every street.
Another turns into a group of friends building giant farms.
And sometimes the funniest moments have nothing to do with building at all. Someone gets lost. Another player accidentally blows up part of their storage room. Everyone laughs, then helps rebuild it.
Those moments are hard to plan. They just happen.
Starting From Nothing Is Part of the Fun
Joining a fresh server always feels different.
Nobody has enchanted gear.
Nobody owns stacks of diamonds.
Even finding enough iron for a full set of armor feels like progress.
The first house is usually a small wooden box. Maybe there’s a bed inside if you’re lucky.
A few days later the same area starts looking completely different. Roads appear. Farms get bigger. More people join. The empty field slowly turns into a real town.
Watching that happen is one of my favorite parts of survival multiplayer.
Small Projects Add Up
When I first started playing, I thought every build had to be huge.
Now I do the opposite.
I’ll build a bridge because crossing the river is annoying.
Then I add a path. Later I put lanterns along it.
None of these projects take all that long on their own, but together they make the whole world feel way more alive. The same thing happens on multiplayer servers.
One player plants trees. Another builds a dock.
Someone else creates a marketplace.
Weeks later nobody remembers who built what, but the whole place feels like a shared project.
Meeting Other Players Changes Everything
Playing alone is relaxing.
Playing with other people is less predictable.
Sometimes you’ll log in planning to mine for an hour. Then another player asks if anyone wants to explore an ocean monument.
Your original plan disappears.
Instead, five people grab boats and head across the map.
One random journey is sometimes all it takes to create a story the whole group remembers. That’s the magic of a vanilla minecraft smp compared to playing alone.
chatgpt.com
Good Servers Stay Busy
A busy server doesn’t mean there are hundreds of players online every minute.
Sometimes twenty active players are enough.
You’ll always find someone building, trading, fishing, or working on a farm.
The world feels lived in. Shops have supplies.
Community projects keep growing.
Messages appear in chat every few minutes.
That steady activity makes a big difference compared to joining a server where nobody logs in anymore.
If you’re planning to create a long-term community, reliable hosting matters too. Slow chunk loading and random crashes get frustrating pretty quickly.
Many server owners compare different options before choosing free minecraft server hosting because stable performance becomes more important as the community grows.
Some also decide to use godlike host after looking at pricing, hardware, and available locations. Honestly, there’s no universal answer here. The right choice depends mostly on player count and how big the world is likely to become after a while.
Rules Don’t Need to Be Complicated
The best servers I’ve joined usually had only a few simple rules.
Don’t steal.
Don’t mess with other people’s builds. Be respectful to everyone. That’s pretty much all there is to it.
Nobody needed pages of instructions.
When people understand what’s expected, most problems never appear in the first place.
Simple rules also make the server feel more welcoming for new players.
Why Vanilla Still Works
The game isn’t anything like it was when it launched, yet survival is still just as enjoyable to start.
You collect wood. You build a house. You go mining.
Soon you’re helping another player with their project instead of working on your own.
Hours pass without anyone noticing.
That’s probably why vanilla minecraft smps continue to stay popular. They don’t rely on massive mod packs or complicated gameplay systems. The players are what make everything interesting, along with the world they build together and all the small stories in between. Still, not every session is exciting. Sometimes you only organize chests or harvest crops. Strangely enough, those quiet evenings often become part of what makes the server feel like home. That’s something mods can’t really create. It comes from people spending time in the same world and slowly turning an empty map into a place that everyone recognizes.
