MIDO ⚡

I hate poverty so much because it takes away your voice it takes away your will to stand up for yourself. It makes you lose your moral compassion because you’re just trying to survive. Politicians here have weaponised poverty, so people are too hungry to ask for the basics, all they can think about is how to make it through today. Things that should be ordinary are now considered luxuries. So we have young men and women pandering to be selected into the inner circle of politicians just so they can survive. I saw a picture of my little sister today. In the background were two Mercedes Benz cars, one orange, which belonged to my mum, and the other white, which belonged to my dad. Civil servants who could afford the basics. How many young people today can say the same? Our youth is wasted trying to survive or save up to Japa, because our leadership has refused to do the bare minimum that would give us better lives. I looked at the sky today and counted just one star. And suddenly, I remembered my childhood sitting on the front porch of our house with stars scattered across the sky, watching planes go by. I hate what politics has reduced my generation to. And I hate that many of my peers may never experience the simple pleasure of separate rooms for their children or even basic air conditioning at night. I used to look forward to Mnet magazines to track my favorite shows as a kid. Now DStv is ₦50,000 in a country where minimum wage is ₦75,000. We shout, “Live within your means,” in a country that robs you of the means to work and earn a living to afford even the simplest things in life. All our friends and family have relocated. Nothing hurts more than growing old in a country where politicians rob you of your dreams and leave you to die alone, with no friends or family left to lead you home.