There is no doubt whatsoever that we are now living in a crazy world, or better put, perilous times as foretold by the Holy Scriptures. Things that used to be fictional acts in films for precautionary lessons to learn from have now become occurrences that we not only hear and see, but daily living with. The rate of inordinate ambitions and quests for quick money, fame, material wealth and better living that daily results to and ends in well defined death paths have not only become rampant and recuring these days, but almost a sworn deal for many, especially our youths and even teenagers. Things are really happening with the extreme and seemingly unstoppable proclivities of our youths daily delving into very heart-wrenching, despicable and fetish practices, and rituals.

While one would concede to the fact that desperation for cheap life is historical and almost as old as man, the same can not be said of the blatant choice and settlement for cheap deaths that now characterizes such desperations. The common saying that "all die na die" seem to have so much influenced the thought patterns of many of our youths, to the extent of being unmindful of their engagements any longer, no matter the implications. The hitherto known and expected course of moving from one stage or level of life to another higher one seem to have taken flight and no longer in vogue. The rhetorical songs now is, 'who hard work help?' Gone were the days when it was either you are a student or learning craftsmanship of various types. The craft being learnt now is that of quick wealth in the form of yahoo yahoo and its higher versions. Painfully, some parents have been known to have directly handed their teenage children over for grooming along that line. It is not unlikely that some of such parents may have acted in ignorance, but truth remains that some of such `push` were deliberate. That parents are deliberate in such acts is not even deniable with the news of collaborative actions of parents and children in ritual acts these days. The recent news of a mother and child who connived and used a family member is enough evidence of intentionality and culpability of parents.

Funnily, the attainment of a fulfilling life is naturally a thing of stages and often predicated upon hard work that ultimately take stages and time to herald eventual desires or success. For instance, no matter how brainy a child is, a jump from nursery to secondary school, or from primary school to university is questionable, because vital things of those stages would be missed. A newborn baby that looks so helpless sooner passes through the stages of growth to attain the stage of self help. From being padded to seat, the baby develops gradually and sooner begins to run around to everyone's delight. The speed and ease of passing through those stages varies. While it may be quite easy for some, it may prove somehow difficult for others. But at the end, the desired outcome is achieved. So, one can imagine when a baby who has barely started seating, decides to suddenly jump up and be running. Such would be viewed as not just a risk or an adventure, but an obvious choice of undesirable injury and possible death.

What we now see with our youths is a flagrant disregard for the natural route of growth, maturity and expected life accomplishments that is premised upon legitimate works, experiences, talents, or a few happenstances. It is now almost a one-way direction of very strong and inordinate ambitions to acquire wealth. Painfully, the ways and manner of such acquisitions depicts elements beyond taking risks or even being adventurous. Though it must be appreciated that risk taking, and adventures are parts of life, the way it has turned out in recent times suggests the unarguable fact that the souls of many have been sold out. This is manifest in the choices they have veered into towards becoming accomplished in life. What can be more devious than the everyday ritual killings in the land. The sad news of everyday ritual killings in the country is such that leaves everyone in great awe, a situation that completely puts our already battered image as a nation in a much more embarrassing position. We are drifting to an era where it is becoming so shameful to identity with our own supposed dear country.

Indeed, the news space, especially the social media is awash with the various news, accounts, and confessional statements and videos of culprits. Also, there has been several write ups and commentaries on this subject of yahoo yahoo and the now widened scope that makes ritual killings the ultimate. However, the commentaries have been mostly narratives of the incidences. It is good to know the various incidences but is also very important to situate the root causes with the aim at proffering solutions. There is always a remote cause of every problem in life, hence the ritualism epidemics needs be traced. Why would a society become so bad that its youth gets loosed into negative actions with reckless abandonment? What has the society done to have pre-occupied them with or away from what now obtains? Could there have been a difference if the Nigerian state fared better?

To start with in respect of the above posers, and in no particular order, it must be stated, that a society where hope is lost can not but help to breed monsters. We are in a dysfunctional society where nothing is working. The level of frustration in the land is such that it takes grace and grace alone not to do the devil's biddings. A society where unemployment is such that graduates are left helpless and hopeless, and continuously depending on supports from others. Even when our youths venture into small scale businesses, they are usually frustrated because the system is unfriendly. Again, the fact that the society celebrates wealth without inquisitions into legitimacy has now snowballed into something else. We are in a society where anything goes, with nobody questioning anything. Rather than treat people with questionable wealth with utmost disdain, ours is one where such people are worshipped, hence it has become not only tolerable but overtly welcomed.

The government is at the centre of the situation we have today because it failed woefully to do what it ought to do. When our common resources get looted for personal uses at the detriment of building a better society, it becomes natural to lure people into inordinacy. When our film industry, in an attempt to either reveal or showcase various evils end up sowing wrong seeds, because of poor censorship, then we couldn't have expected anything less than we are seeing now. When our government's nonchalant attitudes to rural development is such that everyone now run to town and cities, one cannot expect anything far less than almost a jungle life. When institutions keep failing to do its bid toward redirecting our paths for the eventual emergence of a sane society, it indirectly invokes one of chaos. Where is the then National Orientation Agency that was very vibrant, touching lives and positively impacting society?

One could go on and on to establish the fact that the society in general, the government, and parents are all at the centre of the situation we are in today. As always remarked by some pastors, "every armed robber, every prostitute, every ritualist comes from a home."  So, the family unit, being the building block of society must wake up to its responsibility, especially now that the whole thing has become so rampant that it has now become acts for teenagers. This brings to mind the question that my spiritual father would always ask, "what are we raising?"  When parents act pretentiously as if they are not aware of the lifestyles of their children, who without legitimate employment, trade or handwork begin to drive in expensive cars, build mansions and do other things, they should equally know that the requirements for the renewal of such wealth are not restricted. Cases abound of attempts at parents too. So, whether we should encourage what brings cheap life must be weighed by the accompanying cheap deaths too.

Nevertheless, why blames must go round, the fact that everyone is responsible for his own decision and actions makes the bulk of blames not inexorable from the perpetrators themselves. No matter how bad the government, parents and the society has become, there is nothing whatsoever that forbids one from taking the path of godliness. The mere fact that a whole lot has chosen this ugly and gory path does not erode the fact that some very genuine money makers exist among the youths. While some are feeding fat through I.T, building websites, developing software and programs and other stuffs, some good numbers are doing online trading and many more legitimate businesses that are raking in very cool income for them. Again, some have so developed themselves in arts that their incomes therefrom are unbelievable. So, creating a generalized impression of illegitimacy for every rich young man is unfair to the ones who are tirelessly making genuine wealth and impacting society in one way or the other.

To put paid to the ugly development therefore, all hands must be on deck. Our parents must stop living in either ignorance or denials of the obvious. Our religious houses, churches especially, must preach salvation and de-emphasize their prosperity preaching inclinations. There should be cleansing of the system in such a manner as to swipe on all the native doctors, juju priests or whatsoever name they go by. These are the agents of the devil, and their acts and craft of rituals must not be seen in anyway less than murderous. If no one is asking people for human parts, no one would seek human parts. To get the eye of a fish, one must go to the head. Blaming the gullible youths without addressing the real dark agents would not curb anything. This is why it gladdens my heart that the Federal House of Representatives has declared a national emergency on ritual killings. That is a right step in the right direction. We can only be better organized or re-organized as a society if the various arms of government sit tight. In particular, the legislative arm must be taken very seriously with only reasonable persons of repute given opportunities to go in there. It is very bad and sad that we are in a very precarious situation, but we can come out of it with every good measure sought out and applied, starting with the search and empowerment of very responsible political leadership or government. We cannot continue to wallow in our present state; hence we must be very deliberate in our political leadership choices, especially as we approach a general election come 2023. To achieve this, we must be less partisan and be more personality driven.

Clement Uwayah, a public analyst writes from Delta State, Nigeria.