There was once a country called Nigeria. It was beautiful, just, humble and an enabler of its people to achieve great things. It was not a jail house that now imprisons citizens, killing them and stealing from them, hinged on the manipulation of a hoard of cabals and expert rogues.

I was forever taken aback recently when some young people, with a complete ignorance and loss of critical history on various platforms on social media and other groups, alluded that Nigeria’s first class and hardened thieves (masquerading as the older generation), who raped us from 1970 - 1980s, and from 1990s to date (recycling their godsons and goddaughters in self-serving “public service”) of our commonwealth are said to be “united” and have a huge sense of “humanity.”

Over and over again, I am often shocked by this twist and lack of depth in history. No matter the far-fetched or superior logic countering such reasoning, the thinking of some of Nigeria’s youths continues to lack historical depth, and when I try to school these same youths who are bereaved of their history the more, it is always futile and to no avail.

A generation with partial or complete loss of their history can never progress in restructuring or reshaping their future, unless they completely decimate the old and start a new national consciousness.

Yes, these thieves and hoard of industrial capitalists were the “never-do-wells” in their educational careers, the failures in schools, who invaded the military arena, using it to plot several successful and failed coups, they and their civilian traitors and greedy power-grabbers, taking over the country and destroying the very fabric of the Nigerian nation.

These cartels pilfered our commonwealth, introduced divisiveness, humiliated the people, destroyed our moral system and enabling sectoral and structural institutions, and subsequently ran the country aground, broke, dry and useless in the face of the technology-advancing world.

From being the giant of Africa, Nigeria being a beautiful global bride was lured by the West and East, and conned. This happened when the nation was supervised by criminal gangs who took power undemocratically by the gun, led by a senseless crop of daredevil, illiterate rogue-leaders (who are referred to as “united older generation” today).

Where is Nigeria today? And who do you blame?

Before and after the 1966 to 1969 Nigeria-Biafra War, the nation was in the claws of Mafias (civilian and military goons). They tilted the destiny of Nigeria, turn-by-turn, from rogue, visionless and ulterior-driven politicians to the overnight decree-and-junta-grip by illiterate and undemocratic military take-over.

For years, the average Nigerian became militarlised, so was the consciousness or mindsets. Somehow, the military juntas, did of course, think that the instigation of fear in the body politic, would whip Nigerians into perpetual servitude and fear. Unfortunately, the reverse was the case, as an emboldened culture of dare-devilry in official stealing has been instituted into the consciousness of the average man.

Since then, however, or whatever the British plans were, the seed of disunity was sowed, and this resulted in the Biarfra war, after which improper reconciliation ensued, and trust was lost with the wind. Today, Nigerians are suffering the consequences of the actions of a greedy and hopelessly scarred group (who are called older generation).

This same set of leaders ensured all means of adequate information to rework and retrace Nigeria’s path to greatness was completely undermined.

From destroying education, rubishing regional harmony to pilfering in all sectors of the economy – from industry, agriculture to socio-cultural affinity – all institutions became a target.

Where are the youths today? One will be tempted to say they are shepherdless. The youths today are a victim of the messy schemes of the older generation who, in their grand designs, sought to prevent or block the mental space so they won't be called back to their monumental crimes. In this strategic psychological warfare against the youths of the nation, a clinical attack was unleashed: ranging from deprivation of the rights and privileges, divide and rule (the advent of cultism in Nigerian campus is a consequence), targeted sorting and tracing for elimination of political opponents to reduction in education budget for research and unavailability of study scholarships for bright students from less-privileged families. They were all part of the strategic schemes to suppress and oppress.

Another evil projection was the destruction and eroding of the “family bond” through systemic ban in crucial national harmony programmes (artistry, theater, drama, etc). Where are TV programmes like Tales by moonlight? Where are the usual high school and community extra-curricular activities? There are no national education curriculum reviews (hence history was removed). What currently obtain are sectional jingoism, tribalism, nepotism, civil service sabotage and institutional corruption.

The aforementioned were, of course, some of the many magic wands used by these set of leaders (who are still rulers), even as most of the 50 and under-50 demographics remain below as servants inasmuch as they're unwilling to respond to the urgency of the NOW.

This older generation did their evil in such a way as to frustrate all efforts to trace solutions by the coming generation. The simple strategy was to clearly escape prosecutions and payment for all their crimes.

The youths of today are very unfortunate because their knowledge of history is clearly out of place, lost and its key thrown into the Atlantic Ocean by the same hoard of tired older generation leaders and expired demographics, who continue to occupy the spaces designed by nature for the demographics of 18-50 or 50 and below.

The country would have since come up alive; unfortunately, those who threw the solution key into the Atlantic Ocean are no more. The ones still present are the wannabes, the godsons, goddaughters and walk-by associates of the grand schemers. They are the direct profiteers, not the original scoopers. The ones still alive are weak and lifeless, hence can’t act on their own. The remnants are the ones whom the ignorant have nicknamed older generation.

If we want a nation that will begin to forge ahead and guarantee new hope, a new country should be born.

I hope we can truly mobilise the people to think fast.

•Carl Oshodi works in the aviation industry.