By : Samuel Ogungbesan
The growing rate of moral decadence among the youth in recent times is alarming and has further revealed the high level of parental lackadaisical behaviour in the society.
Morality Itself has become a folcrum in African Adage which says - "iwa ni ewa Omo eniyan." Meaning, moral is beauty of humanity while Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines Moral as standard of good behavior, principle of right or wrong.
But the question is where is the home training in nowadays youth? why is immorality among the youth now on the increase despite the huge efforts of most religious leaders preaching godliness and morality ? One begin to wonder why would a child from godly home display a disapproving or a disgraceful behavior in the place of honour and respect for elders.
In the past, Africans are known for positive and impactive cultural values which inculcate hardwork and dignity in labour decrying fraudulent activities. And this norm cut across various ethnic groups serving as check and balance in malpractices.
Not that other African countries are not liable in the parade of immoralities but where has Nigeria, the giant of Africa got it wrong? Why is that our youths of today love to glory and pleasure in evil things such as; cultism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and drug peddling among other internet and social media fraudulence activities than to be competitive in value - based intellectual ventures that will promote socioeconomic well-being and activate the developmental agenda of the nation.
Although findings showed that most surging immorality among the youth today are said to be caused by varieties of factors which are listed to include, parental failure, peer group influence, emergence of social media or internet among other are key forces influencing the youth quintessence decadence.
How do we explain the awful show of nudity raging in the social media? With a reference to a mother of 10 year old pupil of a particular School in Lagos who was wrongly defending her daughter both on social media and in the national dailies that her daughter was drugged and gang raped in viral video by some male students of the school, but further investigation later countered her allegations as her daughter was said to be the belligerent actor in the immoral act which eventually led to her being suspended from the school so she won't influence others.
Findings show that a Child will always be wayward and exuberant When parent do over pamper them with needless- costly gift such as ; I - phone among others. This was the case of the girl in question. As she exploited the sexualities across world through the internet freely without a pinch of parental caution or monitoring. Her escapade on social media accounts hypnotized her viral nude pictures and videos.
It is painful and pathetic to see the future leaders of our nation indulging in cultism, ritualism and drug peddling. They have loss touch of patience, hardwork, perseverance and contentment and they tend not to understand that they have to be morally upright so as to be the next generation of our nation builders.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Olufunmilayo Efuwape in her speech at 2022 International Women's Day in Abeokuta, spoke extensively on the essentiality of parent role in the right upbring of children as the major tool for national stability. She enjoined parent to put in their best to train up the children come - what - may so as to achieve desirable result over them in the future.
So the critical attention should be given to addressing and correcting their short comings 'Oju merin lo nbimo, Igba oju lo nwoo' meaning it takes two to give birth to a child but collective effort to upbring the child"
Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu coroborated with the fact that parental training in a child is a key factor in engendering socio-economic well-being of a society. Took it inference from the 2022 International Conference organized by The National Association of the Study of religion and Education (NASRED) which decries increasing level of moral decadence across all sector of national economy
As a matter of fact, the point is that, parent should inculcate moral values and religious teachings in their children from the early stage in order to equip them for a glorious future.
The holy Bible stated in the book of Proverbs 22 verse 6, "Train up a child in the way he should go , and when he is old,he will not depart from it." Children are not naturally moral being, they are like a blank space ,as they grow up , they are filled with firstly what they learn from the parents and later from pair group and the society. The good and solid foundation parents gave them can keep them going for their entire lifetime.
Parents should show a good example in the way they dress, live, talk and behave, so as lay good example for their children and others. They should stop wearing skimpy dresses for especially the little girl all in the name 'what is trending' as this can lead to the child being addictive to such dressing or becoming a victim of rape.
Some experts said charity must begin from home where parent would lay the foundatiion of descipline and good human relations in their children. From the age of one to twelve parent should not draw back cane from them where necessary. They tend to understand cane language even more than verbal scolding. While from thirteen upward they understands more verbal scolding than beating. if you skip the former the latter may not be effective.
Parents should extend focus beyond children academic excellence to Moral excellence.
The fact is that, discipline is no longer obtainable in both public and private schools in particular and students become - demy god- and "untouchable". They have boldness to waylay their teachers and gang beat them without any consequence. Students are now flying colours in schools to showcase the supremacy of their cult groups and there is no standing disciplinary in some states to checkmate them. But thanks to the present administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun in Ogun state for imposing sanction on all student found with immoralities across the state. To achieve this, all students where made to sign an undertaking with the approval of their parents that the state should expel or carry deserving discipline action on any student found wanting in schools. The measure really worked as excesses of many student in this regards were not only reduced but also brought out a positive change in the students' academic performance.
In the words of a renowned children Church Coordinator, Prof. Comfort Omoniyi, said the best way of curbing the growing children moral degradation in the society is for the parent to bring their children up in the way of the Lord by correcting them where necessary. She cited the Biblical poor parenting style of Eli and its consequence for the family and the nation, warning that parents should desist from promoting immorality in the name of pampering their children by giving them i-phones among expensive tablets at tender age when they could not decern good from bad, will help reduce high chunk of immoralities going viral in the internet.
From the revealing and shocking immoralities being exhibited by youth in 21st Century, emphasised the need to re- adopt the lost African method of child up bringing which is based on "collective parenting" the method was very effective and result - oriented before advent of globalization. Then method gives room for others in the society to train and monitor a neighbor's child way of life and report any unwholesome behaviour for adequate sanctions,
but today child upbringing is virtually left in the hands of machines such as; computers for games, androids and i- phones to access internet, television movies just to mention a few.
The collective parenting exemplifies the philosophy of " iron sharpeneth iron" leading to peaceful co-existence that wil channel prosperity into a society with bearable crime rate. More Importantly, parent should desist from harassing teachers in schools for descipling their children or wards. Parents should join hands in rebuking and correcting them so that they will fulfil destiny and eventually become glory and source of blessing to the socio-economic development of a nation
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