OPEN LETTER FROM THE NIGERIAN YOUTH TO THE NIGERIAN PRESIDENT
OPEN LETTER FROM THE NIGERIAN YOUTH TO THE NIGERIAN PRESIDENT
The Issue
Greetings Mr. President,
My name is Stephanie Olufunlola Garrick. I am 25 years old and I am one of Nigeria’s greatest exports to Canada. I will begin by listing all of my achievements as a Nigerian in Canada before I state the reason for my letter. I strongly believe that your generation and mine have gotten off on the wrong foot. It is no longer a time of war but a time of reconciliation.
In 2014, Nigeria broke my heart. I was an over-achiever in Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Lagos. In my final year, I was preparing for my WAEC. I also worked very hard prepping for a dance competition simultaenously. I am a Nigerian creative, dance is my talent among many other talents. My high school principal decided to ban me from participating in the dance competition after I WORKED SO HARD. She was of the opinion that if I danced, I would fail my WAEC. I now realize that she looked on me through the lens through which she saw herself. In this time, I continued to debate on behalf of my school and won multiple awards, I was the Social Prefect, I read the news on the assembly, I was a STAR. Along the way, some rumours were spread about me and I was called before a disciplinary committee. I PLEADED and DENIED the allegations. I was never spoken to after that interaction. My family was called the next day and my mom was handed an expulsion letter. That principal is unfortunately no longer with us. Thankfully, I come from an influential family and the decision was reversed. I am forever grateful to our family friend, Monsignor Akpala of St. Gregory’s College, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. I returned to school and continued to be an over-achiever. Upon graduation, I received 7 Distinctions and 2 Credits in my WAEC result. This is what it looks like for the POWER OF GOD to walk with you. I am the definition of an OVERCOMER.
Unfortunately, the damage had been done and I had been betrayed by the very generation sworn to protect me. So I vowed to leave Nigeria and never return permanently until positive changes had been made and I entered into a state of functional depression like many other young Nigerians. I graduated at 15 years old and so my family decided to send me to an A Level school because I was too immature to leave the country on my own. Edgewood College, Lekki, Lagos presented me with wonderful leaders and teachers who began mending my broken heart and encouraging me to chase my dreams. And so I worked really hard again and though my academics did not live up to expectations due to my depression, I had a wonderful time in the school and made life-long friends and mentors. A big shout out to Mr. Akintayo and Mrs Kehinde Philips.
Eventually, I gained admission into the Sheridan College Pilon School of Business, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and my life changed forever. As soon as I walked through the doors, I found the Wall of Fame and my dream became to do everything I could to ensure that my face would be there one day. I did not think it impossible, because I was no longer in Nigeria where many adults were determined to stifle my creativity. I started working hard and in my time at Sheridan College I have volunteered to teach the Girl Guides of Canada life skills through a program I was part of launching called the “Young Women In Business”. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau wrote our team a letter thanking us for our hard work. I received a personal copy. We launched this program through ENACTUS Canada, an organization that is dedicated to BUILDING young social entrepreneurs in Canada. We attended competitions where I spoke confidently and we won awards. My success at ENACTUS led me to create and establish the Sheridan Black Students Association. In 2020, I led a march as the Founder and President of the association and the entire City of Mississauga came out to support me because it was a peaceful protest and no harm was done. I do not want to speak on the 20th of October, 2020 as we all know how differently things went for the Nigerian Youth living in Nigeria. The demands I made for change in Sheridan College have continued to be worked on and Sheridan College has held my hands proudly every step of the way in my activism journey because they recognize the value in listening to the younger generation. As the bible says, “Out of the mouth of babes”. My favourite mottos in life are mottos I heard only in Sheridan College for the first time. “Dare To Care” “Get Creative”. I secured a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Human Resources Management as well as a Board Undergraduate Certificate in Creativity and Creative Problem Solving. We give God all the Glory. A big thank you to President Janet Morrison. Nigerian educational institutions spend too much time dimming the light of the children of God and stifling their creativity with TOO MANY RULES that affect their ability to LEARN and GROW. They are just existing in your institutions and not thriving.
I am a regular member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I attend the House of Praise parish in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They have a young adult division called the “We Ignite Church”. They are dedicated to igniting the passions of young adults to fulfil their Godly given purpose on earth. God has given me dreams of a better Nigeria. This should be the mission of every religious institution in Nigeria. HELP THE CHILDREN OF GOD TO DREAM! A big thank you to Pastor Wale Akinsiku and Pastor Tope Akinsiku.
I have lived the Nigerian dream, “To leave Nigeria”. And now, I can confidently say that I have lived the Canadian dream, “Taking advantage of opportunities”. It is time to beg you. TEN YEARS have passed and Nigeria is the same old country. Where young achievers are so depressed they no longer have the mental strength to dream. As someone who is incredibly passionate about chasing her dreams, I recognize your desires and I empathize with you. I have never desired to be a politician but only to leave a positive legacy in the world before my time is up. It is understandable that your dream has been to become the President of Nigeria. Guess what? YOU DID IT!!! I am incredibly proud of you because despite our differences of opinion, you are an example to many others. Your name will forever go down in history as one of the Past Presidents of Nigeria. Your campaign slogan was “Emi Lo Kan”. I agree, I believe you are the last of your generation to lead the Children of God.
However, it is incredibly important to emphasize that the Children of God are currently depressed. They fought so hard to select a leader that inspires them to chase their own dreams. Their strength is failing and many of them can no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel. Too many children are dying from hunger, too many children are contemplating, attempting, and committing suicide. Too many children are TOO SAD TO DREAM. Our country continues to celebrate our efforts outside of home but refuses to give us just ONE CHANCE to try it our way. We are exhausted and traumatized from the events of 2020. It has been a DIFFICULT few years for the “Lazy Nigerian Youth”. And STILL we RISE. We are winning grammies, olympics, academic awards, emmies, Guinness world records, etc. We are WINNERS but we are SAD.
I have started two organizations that are committed to saving the mental health of black children across the world. It is a personal mission for me because I do not want them to jump the hurdles I had to jump to achieve my dreams. I will be spending the next few years doing my part to mend the hearts and minds of young Nigerians so that they will have the strength to simply TRY AGAIN next election. We will not be ready to take over if you do not TRAIN US. There are no institutions dedicated to ensuring that the leaders of tomorrow GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME. Please, if you truly care about us, TRAIN US. We have the creativity, and the will power. But we cannot do it without the help of your generation. Charity must exist alongside Capitalism if the leaders of tomorrow are ever going to see tomorrow. Too many have died from police brutality, hunger, crime, terrorism, etc. Nigeria is currently a SCARY place to live. Nobody is coming to save us. We must save ourselves. PLEASE! The children of God are crying themselves to sleep and God is not happy. For the sake of our mental health, HELP US!!!
I am a FIRM believer in the power of God walking with me. If this letter does not move you to make positive changes in the country on behalf of the Children of God, then I will be CERTAIN that it is not God who has given you power over us and the cries of the Children of God will change from asking to be saved, to asking for you to be forcibly removed one way or another. God LOVES broken children and when we start to pray a different prayer, you BEST BELIEVE, He will hear us. Because we have tried violently and now we are trying peacefully.
As for my fellow “Lazy Nigerian Youth”, this is an “All Hands On Deck” Mission. Stop praying to buy Benz alone. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all other things will be added. I PROMISE. Pray for wisdom so that you can open your eyes and see how you can help your country with your talents. Whatever God you believe in, we all come from the same one. It is time to beg Him to use us to transform our home into the Nigeria of our dreams. You KNOW a divine power has caused you to thrive. It is time to put that power to use as you FIGHT peacefully between now and the next election. We have one goal and one goal only. “NO GREE FOR ANYBODY”. Chase your dreams like your life depends on it because we must PROVE that we are deserving for POWER TO CHANGE HANDS.
As angry as we are at the BOOMERS, we love and thank them for all that they have done and continue to do to shape the minds of young Nigerians. We are not lazy, disrespectful, angry, etc. We just communicate very poorly sometimes and that can be worked on. We are young, and so we act young. Do not fault us for it. Help us to acquire wisdom, knowledge and understanding, so that when we are old, we will be even better than you. We are simply sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I’m sure EVERY NIGERIAN regardless of age, gender, religion, tribe, economic class, etc. can relate. The “Lazy Nigerian Youth” are, in fact, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. HELP US!!!!
“The day Nigeria wakes up, AFRICA will never be the same again.” -Professor Patrick Lumumba.
GIANT OF AFRICA, ARE YOU READY TO RISE??? JI MA SUN!!! NO GREE FOR ANYBODY!!! IT IS TIME FOR NIGERIA TO BE RESTORED TO HER FORMER GLORY!!!
My name is Stephanie Olufunlola Garrick and I am a Natural Born Change Maker. I have played my part as a bridge of communication. DO YOUR PART AND HELP THE CHILDREN OF GOD FIND THEIR NIGERIAN JOY ONCE MORE!!!
Sincerely,
The NEW Nigerian Dreamer.
60
The Issue
Greetings Mr. President,
My name is Stephanie Olufunlola Garrick. I am 25 years old and I am one of Nigeria’s greatest exports to Canada. I will begin by listing all of my achievements as a Nigerian in Canada before I state the reason for my letter. I strongly believe that your generation and mine have gotten off on the wrong foot. It is no longer a time of war but a time of reconciliation.
In 2014, Nigeria broke my heart. I was an over-achiever in Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Lagos. In my final year, I was preparing for my WAEC. I also worked very hard prepping for a dance competition simultaenously. I am a Nigerian creative, dance is my talent among many other talents. My high school principal decided to ban me from participating in the dance competition after I WORKED SO HARD. She was of the opinion that if I danced, I would fail my WAEC. I now realize that she looked on me through the lens through which she saw herself. In this time, I continued to debate on behalf of my school and won multiple awards, I was the Social Prefect, I read the news on the assembly, I was a STAR. Along the way, some rumours were spread about me and I was called before a disciplinary committee. I PLEADED and DENIED the allegations. I was never spoken to after that interaction. My family was called the next day and my mom was handed an expulsion letter. That principal is unfortunately no longer with us. Thankfully, I come from an influential family and the decision was reversed. I am forever grateful to our family friend, Monsignor Akpala of St. Gregory’s College, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. I returned to school and continued to be an over-achiever. Upon graduation, I received 7 Distinctions and 2 Credits in my WAEC result. This is what it looks like for the POWER OF GOD to walk with you. I am the definition of an OVERCOMER.
Unfortunately, the damage had been done and I had been betrayed by the very generation sworn to protect me. So I vowed to leave Nigeria and never return permanently until positive changes had been made and I entered into a state of functional depression like many other young Nigerians. I graduated at 15 years old and so my family decided to send me to an A Level school because I was too immature to leave the country on my own. Edgewood College, Lekki, Lagos presented me with wonderful leaders and teachers who began mending my broken heart and encouraging me to chase my dreams. And so I worked really hard again and though my academics did not live up to expectations due to my depression, I had a wonderful time in the school and made life-long friends and mentors. A big shout out to Mr. Akintayo and Mrs Kehinde Philips.
Eventually, I gained admission into the Sheridan College Pilon School of Business, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and my life changed forever. As soon as I walked through the doors, I found the Wall of Fame and my dream became to do everything I could to ensure that my face would be there one day. I did not think it impossible, because I was no longer in Nigeria where many adults were determined to stifle my creativity. I started working hard and in my time at Sheridan College I have volunteered to teach the Girl Guides of Canada life skills through a program I was part of launching called the “Young Women In Business”. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau wrote our team a letter thanking us for our hard work. I received a personal copy. We launched this program through ENACTUS Canada, an organization that is dedicated to BUILDING young social entrepreneurs in Canada. We attended competitions where I spoke confidently and we won awards. My success at ENACTUS led me to create and establish the Sheridan Black Students Association. In 2020, I led a march as the Founder and President of the association and the entire City of Mississauga came out to support me because it was a peaceful protest and no harm was done. I do not want to speak on the 20th of October, 2020 as we all know how differently things went for the Nigerian Youth living in Nigeria. The demands I made for change in Sheridan College have continued to be worked on and Sheridan College has held my hands proudly every step of the way in my activism journey because they recognize the value in listening to the younger generation. As the bible says, “Out of the mouth of babes”. My favourite mottos in life are mottos I heard only in Sheridan College for the first time. “Dare To Care” “Get Creative”. I secured a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Human Resources Management as well as a Board Undergraduate Certificate in Creativity and Creative Problem Solving. We give God all the Glory. A big thank you to President Janet Morrison. Nigerian educational institutions spend too much time dimming the light of the children of God and stifling their creativity with TOO MANY RULES that affect their ability to LEARN and GROW. They are just existing in your institutions and not thriving.
I am a regular member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I attend the House of Praise parish in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They have a young adult division called the “We Ignite Church”. They are dedicated to igniting the passions of young adults to fulfil their Godly given purpose on earth. God has given me dreams of a better Nigeria. This should be the mission of every religious institution in Nigeria. HELP THE CHILDREN OF GOD TO DREAM! A big thank you to Pastor Wale Akinsiku and Pastor Tope Akinsiku.
I have lived the Nigerian dream, “To leave Nigeria”. And now, I can confidently say that I have lived the Canadian dream, “Taking advantage of opportunities”. It is time to beg you. TEN YEARS have passed and Nigeria is the same old country. Where young achievers are so depressed they no longer have the mental strength to dream. As someone who is incredibly passionate about chasing her dreams, I recognize your desires and I empathize with you. I have never desired to be a politician but only to leave a positive legacy in the world before my time is up. It is understandable that your dream has been to become the President of Nigeria. Guess what? YOU DID IT!!! I am incredibly proud of you because despite our differences of opinion, you are an example to many others. Your name will forever go down in history as one of the Past Presidents of Nigeria. Your campaign slogan was “Emi Lo Kan”. I agree, I believe you are the last of your generation to lead the Children of God.
However, it is incredibly important to emphasize that the Children of God are currently depressed. They fought so hard to select a leader that inspires them to chase their own dreams. Their strength is failing and many of them can no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel. Too many children are dying from hunger, too many children are contemplating, attempting, and committing suicide. Too many children are TOO SAD TO DREAM. Our country continues to celebrate our efforts outside of home but refuses to give us just ONE CHANCE to try it our way. We are exhausted and traumatized from the events of 2020. It has been a DIFFICULT few years for the “Lazy Nigerian Youth”. And STILL we RISE. We are winning grammies, olympics, academic awards, emmies, Guinness world records, etc. We are WINNERS but we are SAD.
I have started two organizations that are committed to saving the mental health of black children across the world. It is a personal mission for me because I do not want them to jump the hurdles I had to jump to achieve my dreams. I will be spending the next few years doing my part to mend the hearts and minds of young Nigerians so that they will have the strength to simply TRY AGAIN next election. We will not be ready to take over if you do not TRAIN US. There are no institutions dedicated to ensuring that the leaders of tomorrow GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME. Please, if you truly care about us, TRAIN US. We have the creativity, and the will power. But we cannot do it without the help of your generation. Charity must exist alongside Capitalism if the leaders of tomorrow are ever going to see tomorrow. Too many have died from police brutality, hunger, crime, terrorism, etc. Nigeria is currently a SCARY place to live. Nobody is coming to save us. We must save ourselves. PLEASE! The children of God are crying themselves to sleep and God is not happy. For the sake of our mental health, HELP US!!!
I am a FIRM believer in the power of God walking with me. If this letter does not move you to make positive changes in the country on behalf of the Children of God, then I will be CERTAIN that it is not God who has given you power over us and the cries of the Children of God will change from asking to be saved, to asking for you to be forcibly removed one way or another. God LOVES broken children and when we start to pray a different prayer, you BEST BELIEVE, He will hear us. Because we have tried violently and now we are trying peacefully.
As for my fellow “Lazy Nigerian Youth”, this is an “All Hands On Deck” Mission. Stop praying to buy Benz alone. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all other things will be added. I PROMISE. Pray for wisdom so that you can open your eyes and see how you can help your country with your talents. Whatever God you believe in, we all come from the same one. It is time to beg Him to use us to transform our home into the Nigeria of our dreams. You KNOW a divine power has caused you to thrive. It is time to put that power to use as you FIGHT peacefully between now and the next election. We have one goal and one goal only. “NO GREE FOR ANYBODY”. Chase your dreams like your life depends on it because we must PROVE that we are deserving for POWER TO CHANGE HANDS.
As angry as we are at the BOOMERS, we love and thank them for all that they have done and continue to do to shape the minds of young Nigerians. We are not lazy, disrespectful, angry, etc. We just communicate very poorly sometimes and that can be worked on. We are young, and so we act young. Do not fault us for it. Help us to acquire wisdom, knowledge and understanding, so that when we are old, we will be even better than you. We are simply sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I’m sure EVERY NIGERIAN regardless of age, gender, religion, tribe, economic class, etc. can relate. The “Lazy Nigerian Youth” are, in fact, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. HELP US!!!!
“The day Nigeria wakes up, AFRICA will never be the same again.” -Professor Patrick Lumumba.
GIANT OF AFRICA, ARE YOU READY TO RISE??? JI MA SUN!!! NO GREE FOR ANYBODY!!! IT IS TIME FOR NIGERIA TO BE RESTORED TO HER FORMER GLORY!!!
My name is Stephanie Olufunlola Garrick and I am a Natural Born Change Maker. I have played my part as a bridge of communication. DO YOUR PART AND HELP THE CHILDREN OF GOD FIND THEIR NIGERIAN JOY ONCE MORE!!!
Sincerely,
The NEW Nigerian Dreamer.
60
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Petition created on January 5, 2024