Death is a painful experience, it is even more painful if the death of a loved one is an avoidable one. Your heart aches at thought of only having pictures and the lingering memory of a loved that once walked the surface of this planet.

Last Saturday’s election in Rivers would sit in the shameful company of horrible elections that have been held in this country.

Amongst the terrible stories of last weekend’s election is the murder of Youth Corp member Samuel Okonta.

Most have blamed the government for sustaining the NYSC scheme as well as their insistence of using youth corpers as electoral officers, others have blamed Samuel Okonta for participating in the election considering the do or die atmosphere that enveloped Rivers leading up to the polls.

Whatever position one takes we have lost a bright young man, all the hopes and dreams of that young man have been forcefully taken away by the sponsored killers of our nation’s political elite.

In the weeks preceding the election, even the blind could see the evil hanging in the air as both parties went on an orgy of destruction.

Daily murders of members of both the PDP and the APC told the sad tale that human life had no value to the principal actors of last weekend’s election.

Before our eyes, the two principal actors warmed, boiled and overheated the waters of an already disturbed polity. They fuelled the firewood of violence with their insults and commands to their thugs and foot soldiers.

If only they will allow their children participate in an election such as the one that was held last week. It is disheartening to point out that Youth Corp members will still be called back to help conclude most of the inconclusive elections. What is the monetary value of the life of a Youth Corp member in our country? 1 million? Maybe 2 million?

Samuel thought he had been called to serve, little did he know he had been called to die while serving, our succession of leaders have made it so.

I have heard promises that will never be kept being made, I have seen pictures and videos of condolence visits, I have seen buckets of crocodile tears and I have seen pictures and videos of flowery speeches, speeches that have been written to elevate and induct Samuel into the hall of Martyrdom.

Like the Youth Corp members that were killed in 2011, Samuel Okonta is another victim of the inhuman greed and lust for power regularly displayed by the section of our society far removed from our daily reality. Samuel’s family has lost a son and a potential breadwinner that they didn’t have to lose.

As I reflect on it all I wonder if they would ever get justice. Would they be asking for too much if they demand that those that pulled the trigger of those guns be made to face the wrath of justice?

We are in a country where a murdered minister of justice couldn’t get justice, we are in a country were jobseekers died while trying to get jobs, we are in a country where our daughters were abducted while trying to get basic education, it is that same country that has ensured that Samuel Okonta would never live his dreams.

In the past our leaders only failed us, their actions and inaction only killed our dreams, today they are now killing us.

ODIEGWU!

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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

Opinion article written by Chinyere Akatobi, who can be reached on Twitter @prolific_jackk