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By Samuel Ogungbemi
Another year has rolled in for children all over the world to celebrate their great, memorable, sacred and joyful children’s day. May the goodness and mercy of God Almighty continue to radiate upon all children to fulfill their destinies, not minding the effect of COVID-19 pandemic that has been ravaging the universe.
The heart of this writer bleeds as he witnesses the rate at which the core moral values among the children and youths are grossly diminishing in our society. Not many Nigerians have noticed the rate young children and youths are derailing from spiritual, moral and ethical core values. It should, therefore, be our great concern to contribute towards equipping the children with the right spirit, the proper mindset that would build them up mentally, morally and spiritually. As parents, we are certainly responsible for the eternal destinies of our children, hence we should no longer afford to toy with their future by not paying proper attention to their physical and spiritual upbringing purposefully through good examples. Example is better than precept and parents are the mirror, barometer for instilling discipline into their children from infancy to adulthood.
There is no doubt that yearning for exemplary children in this time is very appropriate. In this time, it is very obvious that children and youths are no longer placing high premium on our cherished cultural values. Every adult should not keep mute on this bad scenario as children embrace bad habits that will not bode well for them and the larger society.
It is the responsibility of parents and other stakeholders to raise exemplary godly children who would be capable of taking up the challenge of national transformation. The level of moral decadence prevalent among our children is worrisome and calls for immediate correction. Their utmost desire is to ride the latest cars, build magnificent houses and eat the best delicacies at all cost and by “any means.” The value for respect, hard work, honesty, chastity and obedience to higher authority is considered outdated and “old school.” “Many children disregard the injunctions in the Holy Book that they should obey their parents at all times and in all things. They have no regard for constituted authorities and the laws of the land.” All stakeholders have a duty to bring them back to the path of righteousness.
The falling standard in our education presently negates the desire to raise exemplary children in our society. This is the major reason why the government should rise up and salvage the present precarious state of our education. The government should not allow the education of our children collapse.
We should bear in mind that our young boys and girls are not created for these unfortunate situations of lawlessness in our society. Parents should first of all inculcate the fear of God in their children in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it. This is the divine way to lead children to imbibe exemplary living line, hook and sinker. Parents should map out strategies that will make children and youths embrace moral values of the society. Moral values are standards of behaviour, beliefs about what is right and wrong, and what is important and pragmatic in life. It is very sad that the moral values of the society which the young people of today should emulate are being eroded.
They have established a completely different set of values and expectations contrary to the foundations of the society. The saying that there is dignity in labour and always remember the son/daughter of whom you no longer mean much to many of them. In raising exemplary children, government should make adequate provision for great number of children who are out of school. No responsible government should neglect the welfare of children. God desires that we extend care and meet the needs of our children and also respect their fundamental human rights.
The church and other religious organizations cannot afford to fold their arms and watch the enemy ruin the lives and prospects of our children who are the crown, strength and future hope of the nation. The religious organizations should subsidize the cost of the Holy Books so that there will be enough to be in circulation to enable an average person afford them. The future of Nigeria lies in the development of her children/youth which constitute over 50 percent of the population ranging between ages 18 and 35. Part of the dividends of democracy in this country should be to make our children live in peaceful atmosphere without fear of victimization or intimidation. Teaching appropriate moral and inculcating spiritual lessons in children from early childhood should be the preoccupation of all stakeholders. This can be done through adequate funding of education and provision of learning aids and conducive learning environments.
We should make concerted efforts to pass on to our children the good skills and legacies we have learnt in life. We should teach them how to tie their shoe laces in time, how to put bait on a fish hook to catch fish and not necessarily wait until the fish is given to them to eat on dainty dining table. We must teach them how to set fire without being hurt, how to bake a pie for an assurance of the daily bread. Teach them God’s attributes particularly illustrating from our life experience. There should be good relationship between parents and children. Parental example is very vital in raising exemplary children. Diligent teaching of God’s words to them when they are still young is very vital to raising godly children.
Ogungbemi, a cleric, writes from Ibadan
