Discipline is the practice of training people to obey rules and orders and punishing them if they do not. It is a method of training one’s mind or body or of controlling one’s behavior. Morality, in the same vein, are the principles concerning right and wrong or good and bad behavior. This therefore means that a disciplined person is the one that is morally upright.
The critical question then is how many of the over 200 million Nigerians are disciplined and morally upright? Answer to the question will emanate when a rational thinker takes a walk to any junction in any of the Nigerian roads, especially during rush hours. Another walk down the same road close to any check point will make a returnee from a saner clime shudder in bewilderment.
In fact, every corner of the society seems rotten and polluted. Every stratum in the enclave is involved; the high, the low and the middle class, no matter the sex. The rich and the poor, the young and the old; the educated and the uneducated are all caught up in this stigma and anathema called CORRUPTION. The fact remains that wherever things are abnormal, someone is benefitting from it.
There is no doubt that there is a general decline in discipline and morality in our society. Every day, there are reported cases of indiscipline, corruption and deviation in our socio-economic and political lifestyle. Regrettably, it has reached a frightening proportion. The youths disrespect the elders, while some elders do not live by example. One also often hears of students beating up their teachers, parent and guardian, while some parents encourage their children to go all out and make the money, no matter how. No wonder why a mother was reported to be giving testimony in a church over her son, a third year student in the university, who bought a Venza car during the yuletide.
Cultism and all other forms of immoral acts are common in our society. Bribery, embezzlement, looting, corruption and starching away of public funds are rampant among workers, officials and even some security agencies, who have the responsibility to curb the trend. Commercial drivers pick and drop passengers in the middle of the road, to the detriment of the lives of the passengers and other road users; at times, in front of security agencies.
The causes of indiscipline and immorality in the society are not far-fetched. The seed is sown at home when youths begin to disrespect their parents. This is because from there; they grow to disobeying constituted authorities. The high point is when they begin to behave immorally at home and in the public. In other words, indiscipline and immorality start from the home.
Nowadays, parents have no time for their children’s upbringing. Parents go out early in the morning and come back late at night. Some parents even drink to stupor and often quarrel with their spouses in the presence of their children. They exhibit much other bad character not worthy of emulation, including wife battering, telling lies, cheating and other social vices.
Societal influence is another strong factor causing a decline in the level of discipline. Any society that is immoral, encourages and celebrates corruption and indiscipline. That society can never produce disciplined citizens. In Nigerians hail people that acquire wealth by crooked means. And that is why public officials, more often than not, embezzle public funds, while it is a common sight to see some of them collecting bribe publicly. In the same vein, many citizens aid and abet armed robbery, kidnapping, drug and child trafficking as well as smuggling, among other social vices; all in the name of making money.
Nevertheless, this ugly situation can be reversed, if we want to curtail indiscipline and immorality in our society. Religious bodies should be ready to preach the undiluted word of God. They should educate the youth and the elderly alike on the evil menace of crimes and immorality. Our people must be encouraged to be disciplined and of good morals in their dealings.
The leaders and the elders should live exemplary lifestyle, devoid of kleptomania and set good moral standards. The society can change for the better if our security agents and public officials can be disciplined and upright. If the change starts from the top, it will trickle to the grassroots and the level of discipline and morality will be raised.
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