Ikechukwu Eze | Abakaliki
When the Songs Become Dangerous
Praise is not inherently evil. In fact, cultures all over the world, including our dear Ebonyi State, have historically used praise to uplift heroes and celebrate excellence. But what happens when praise becomes a tool for manipulation? What happens when young people, the very hope of tomorrow, begin to trade integrity for crumbs? What happens when the loudest voices in the land are not those of the wise, but of the sycophants?
This is the sad reality in Ebonyi State today.
From Akaeze, Ishiagu to Abakaliki, from Amasiri, Edda to Onicha, from Afikpo to Izzi, a dangerous trend has overtaken the land. Our youths, once known for their industrious spirit, have become willing tools in the hands of politicians, singing praises not based on performance, but on patronage. For as little as ₦30,000 or ₦50,000, they offer their platforms, their time, and their dignity to celebrate underachieving leaders. Some do it for rice and wrappers. Others do it for Facebook recognition.
But the consequences of this dangerous culture go far beyond political noise. It is sabotaging our future, destroying our institutions, killing innovation, and breeding a generation of followers who no longer know how to think critically.
The Mechanics of Praise Singing in Ebonyi
To understand the damage, we must understand the method. Praise singing in Ebonyi has become a strategy, a well-oiled system where youths are recruited, paid, and tasked with one major assignment: drown out criticism and sing the loudest praise, no matter how bad things are.
Whether it's a road left uncompleted, a school abandoned, or agricultural projects mismanaged, praise singers are always there — ready to distract the masses with catchy slogans like “Our Talk and Do Governor,” or “Ebonyi is moving to the next level!”
These slogans have become substitutes for real development.
Youths Selling Tomorrow for Tokens Today
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this trend is the way young people are being used to sabotage their own future. Imagine a graduate of Ebonyi State University, jobless for years, suddenly defending a politician online who has failed to create jobs — simply because he was given ₦30,000 for a "media campaign."
He knows the truth: there are no functional skill acquisition centers, no working ICT hubs, no youth loan programs. But he keeps quiet because he has been “settled.”
The message this sends is clear: truth doesn’t matter. Performance doesn’t matter. All that matters is who can pay the loudest voice.
This mentality is not just morally wrong, it is strategically destructive. It turns our best minds into instruments of deception.
The Ripple Effects Across Key Sectors
Praise singing may look like just words, but those words have consequences. Below are the areas of development being destroyed by this growing culture:
Human and Capital Development: A Lost Generation
Ebonyi has one of the youngest populations in the Southeast. These young people should be the builders of businesses, creators of innovation, and leaders of the future. But instead, many are now turning into “media aides,” “social media defenders,” and “praise contractors.”
Instead of pushing for digital literacy, vocational training, scholarship programs, or business incubation hubs, they are defending poor leadership. They are not asking for investments in them; they are asking for photo-ops.
This is how generations are wasted — slowly, quietly, and willingly.
Infrastructure: A Celebration of Cosmetic Projects
Many infrastructural projects in Ebonyi today are either substandard or uncompleted. Yet, the noise online would make you think the state has turned into Dubai.
A local government chairman tars 200 meters of road and paints the culvert — and suddenly, he is declared “the Moses of our time.” Meanwhile, entire communities still lack access roads. Marketplaces are in ruins. Bridges are collapsing.
But because praise singers have flooded Facebook with edited drone shots, the media is silenced, and accountability dies.
Infrastructure should be about transformation — not decoration.
Education: Deception in Uniform
Visit many public schools in Ebonyi, and you will be shocked. Broken desks. No electricity. Outdated teaching methods. Some schools still have pupils learning in a dilapidated classrooms. But if you go online, you’ll see headlines like: “Honorable this and that, the governor has awarded Mega School Project," the commissioner for so so and so has donated XYZ.
Often, it's just a painted wall or the donation of chalk and registers. Yet, youths flood the comments: “The best education-friendly leader we have ever had!”
By doing this, they blind the government to the reality. If no one demands better, why should leaders offer better?
Agriculture: The Neglected Treasure
Ebonyi’s soil is among the most fertile in Nigeria. Agriculture should be our gold mine. Yet, farming is still mostly manual. No tractors. No storage. No modern irrigation. Young farmers have no access to markets or credit facilities.
But when a politician gives ₦20,000 to a few farmers in the name of “empowerment,” praise singers go wild. “He has revived agriculture!” they shout.
Meanwhile, the real issues remain untouched, access to land, mechanization, agribusiness training, and export readiness.
This is how praise singing kills progress — by making a joke out of serious problems.
Youth Empowerment: A Media Stunt
True empowerment gives a young person the tools to become independent. But in Ebonyi today, what we see are empowerment “ceremonies” where 10 people get ₦50,000, and 100 others clap and cheer.
These ceremonies are live-streamed, over-hyped, and praised to the heavens — while the real needs of the youth are ignored.
No policy follow-up. No training. No mentoring. Just handouts and hashtags.
The youths who should be questioning this nonsense are instead hired to promote it.
The Role of Social Media: From a Tool of Liberation to a Weapon of Oppression
Social media was supposed to give voice to the voiceless. But in Ebonyi today, it is used as a weapon of suppression — by the youths themselves.
Critics are called “enemies of progress.” Truth-tellers are insulted. Opposition voices are bullied into silence. And all of this is done by people who should be championing freedom of speech and good governance.
The digital battlefield is now one where truth dies daily.
The Tragedy of Intelligent Silence
Another silent but dangerous trend is the silence of intelligent youths, those who know better but say nothing. Some are afraid. Some don’t want to “spoil their future chances.” Some are simply tired.
But in their silence, lies gain ground. In their silence, praise singers become dominant voices. In their silence, Ebonyi drifts further into darkness.
It’s not enough to dislike what’s happening. We must speak, organize, and act.
The Politicians' Playbook: Keep Them Hungry, Keep Them Singing
Let’s be clear, many leaders want praise singers. It benefits them. That’s why they don’t create jobs, they create “media units.” That’s why they don’t build skill centers — they distribute T-shirts.
The goal is not to empower the youth, but to distract them. A hungry man is easier to control with tokens. A desperate youth will sing anything.
This is the trap. And unless we break it, the cycle will continue.
The Way Forward: Time to Change the Song
It’s not enough to condemn. We must offer solutions. Here's how Ebonyi can move forward:
1. Youth Reorientation
Begin massive sensitization campaigns in schools, churches, and communities. Teach the youth the value of dignity, truth, and accountability.
2. Create Alternative Platforms
Support independent media, local bloggers, and youth journalists who focus on facts, not praise.
3. Promote Real Empowerment
Push for programs that involve skill training, grants, mentoring, and real business incubation — not just “empowerment shows.”
4. Reward Performance, Not Noise
Encourage a culture where leaders are celebrated for impact, not influence. Where road quality matters more than ribbon-cutting.
5. Speak Out
Youths who know the truth must stop hiding. The time to be “neutral” is over. If you don’t speak, others will — and they might be lying.
Who Will Sing for the Future?
Ebonyi cannot grow if the truth is buried under empty praises. The future cannot be built on sycophancy. Our development cannot be left in the hands of youths who have sold their conscience for crumbs.
This is not just about politics — it’s about survival. It’s about the kind of Ebonyi we want to leave for our children. Will it be a land of innovation, dignity, and prosperity? Or a land where praises are louder than progress?
The choice is ours.
Let the praise singers retire. Let the truth speakers rise.
0 Comments
Thanks so much for your comment