Odita Sunday 
By Ewere Okonta
08037383019
eobnewsmedia@gmail.com
www.ewereokontablog.org.ng
Nigeria is living a dangerous contradiction. The louder our music becomes, the deeper our fear grows. As Christmas and New Year draw near, entertainment is booming; concerts, carnivals, nightlife, street shows, road trips, parties without sleep. Yet at the same time, insecurity is tightening its grip on our national soul. Kidnapping, armed robbery, cult violence, ritual killings, drug-fuelled crimes, and senseless bloodletting have become normalised headlines.
This is not just irony; it is tragedy in motion. And this is where today’s sermon deliberately steps on toes: the uneasy, often ignored intersection of youths, security, and entertainment.
Setting the Conceptual Table
Let us be clear and honest.
Youths are not just “leaders of tomorrow”; they are power brokers of today. They control the streets, the screens, the sounds, and the trends. They define lifestyle, shape popular opinion, and dominate the informal economy. Any nation that ignores its youths is already negotiating failure.
Security is not the exclusive preserve of uniforms, rifles, or government press statements. Security is the oxygen of development; the freedom to sleep, move, trade, worship, celebrate, and dream without fear. When security collapses, everything else becomes cosmetic.
Entertainment is culture on loudspeaker. It is music, movies, comedy, sports, nightlife, social media, and influencer culture. For Nigerian youths, entertainment is not leisure alone; it is survival, identity, rebellion, business, and voice.
Individually, these concepts are powerful. Collectively, they can either rescue Nigeria or ruin it.
Nigeria’s Bitter Reality: A State Under Pressure
Let us say what many whisper in private: the government is overwhelmed. The security agencies are stretched thin. Trust between the people and those meant to protect them is dangerously low. Communities no longer assume safety; they negotiate it. Parents pray when their children step out at night. Travellers calculate kidnapping risk like transport fare.
This is not normal.
And it is not sustainable.
A nation that lives in constant fear cannot plan long-term development. You cannot industrialise under kidnapping. You cannot attract investors when ransom has become an industry. You cannot build tourism where fear is the gatekeeper. Security is not one sector among many; it is the foundation of nationhood.
Festive Seasons: Where Joy and Danger Shake Hands
The season we are entering is both joyful and risky. From mid-December to early January, entertainment peaks. Money circulates. Alcohol flows. Drugs find new markets. Emotions run high. Judgment runs low.
And criminals understand timing better than preachers.
Festive crowds provide cover. Late nights provide opportunity. Distractions provide access. What should be seasons of joy often become seasons of regret. This is why insecurity thrives during celebrations.
The Uncomfortable Question: Where Are the Youths?
Here lies the uncomfortable truth, the missing link we refuse to confront.
Youths organise concerts flawlessly but struggle to organise vigilance. They mobilise thousands for entertainment but hardly mobilise dozens for community security. They know every DJ and promoter, but not the security architecture of their neighbourhoods.
This is not an attack on youths; it is a challenge to conscience.
If the state can no longer do it alone and it clearly cannot, then community-based youth involvement in security is no longer optional. It is existential.
The Nexus: Where the Lines Intersect
The connection is simple but politically inconvenient:
* Youths dominate entertainment spaces.
* Entertainment creates movement, gatherings, and economic activity.
* Those gatherings become security flashpoints.
Therefore, enjoying entertainment without taking responsibility for security is collective hypocrisy.
The synergy we need is deliberate:
* Youth-led neighbourhood vigilance groups.
* Volunteer security marshals at events.
* Real collaboration between youth leaders and security agencies.
* Using music, comedy, film, and social media as tools of security awareness.
* Turning influencers into voices of responsibility, not just vibes and controversy.
Security messaging must speak the language of the youths, or it will be ignored.
Where the Relationship Breaks Down
They go apart when:
* Entertainment glorifies recklessness and criminal glamour.
* Youths outsource security entirely to a failing state.
* Security agencies profile youths as enemies, not allies.
* Government treats youth engagement as a seasonal slogan.
This mutual distrust is toxic. And where trust dies, criminals flourish.
Government Must Lead – Not Perform
Let us be blunt: security must become the government’s loudest priority. Not rhetorically, but practically.
* Youths must be central to security policy, not afterthoughts.
* Festive seasons must trigger red-alert security planning.
* Intelligence must be local, youth-informed, and community-based.
* Empowerment must move beyond skill acquisition to civic responsibility.
Security cannot be reactive. It must be preventive. And prevention runs on youth energy.
Final Charge: From Vibes to Vigilance
This sermon is not anti-fun. It is anti-foolishness.
Dance, but stay alert.
Celebrate, but stay conscious.
Enjoy, but stay responsible.
A society where youths only party but do not protect will soon have nothing left to celebrate.
The future belongs to the youths, but only if the youths secure the future.
As the beat drops this festive season, let vigilance rise.
Because without security, even joy becomes dangerous.
This festive season, let the beat drop – but let vigilance rise.
This is the Sunday sermon from my holy pulpit!
Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media. He is a family values advocate. He writes from the Department of the Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor.
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