The National Children’s Day celebrated annually on May 27 is a day that the nation sheds light on issues affecting children, child’s rights and development. It is a day that children are celebrated by government institutions, individuals and corporate bodies. This year’s celebration is even more important as it comes few days to a government transition in the country. No wonder the theme of the day, “The state of Nigerian children today: proper parenting of value reorientation and national consciousness suites the mood of the nation.
A child, according to Section 29(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as incorporated in the Child’s Right Act 2003, is any person under the age of 18. These group of persons in less than twenty years must have become players in different sectors of our national life. Thus they are said to be leaders of tomorrow. The nation’s ability to harness them will determine if they will become active and positive leaders and members of the society or passive and aggressive burdens of the country. As the theme of the day highlights, the day underscores the basic needs to tutor and nurture these young ones with the values that the nation desires to see in the future.
If Nigeria wants to have a future where corruption, tribalism and ethnicism will become a thing of the past, this is the time to begin to teach our children the value system that will make that possible in the future. If the country wants a future Nigeria that competes globally in science, technology and digital innovations, then, these children must be taught today on how to tap into their innovative selves. The government must take care to begin to build those institutions with strong values that will enable that. It will be ridiculous to expect a better future made of yams if we plants corns today.
Children are very impressionable and understand and learn actions more than they would words. They see, deduct and practice what they see without asking questions. So the challenge will be, are we going to teach them the values and then go on to live
on the absolute opposite direction? Obviously, the result will be against what we wanted. For instance, in the 2023 general elections, these children must have come across videos where adults who they adore and respect engage in ballot box snatching, name calling and ethnic profiling. These will only teach them that whatever they learnt in civic education was mere cosmetic than real. These children who go to churches and are taught honesty and integrity see the leadership of the same churches praise, honour and adore well known political and economic fraudsters. Instead of integrity and honesty, they will come to believe that the end justifies the means. Children who are taught to honour agreements, contracts and show a sense of duty, will watch as their teachers come late to school without sanction and observe as they appropriate the time meant for academic activities for their personal businesses. These actions, will never inculcate the positive value systems. So, the effort must be as practical as they are taught.
As we consider the theme of the day and how we must nurture children with national consciousness, we must look back at the core value we hold dear and ensure that they look like what we desire for our future.
It is also noteworthy to highlight the danger that the country faces if serious actions are not taken against the increasing rate of child abuse, molestation, labour and trafficking. On weekly basis, one case or the other is heard on how a child is sexually violated by adults who they trust or who they are in their care.
Today, many adults are not ashamed to reprise the actions of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, when against advice, he harmed a child that called him father. It is commendable that the Anambra State Government and the Anambra State Judiciary have set up the Children, Sexual Offences and Gender Based Violence Court to fast tract the trial of offences against children in the state. However, more must be done. It must not end with the government alone, every member of the society must say and do something when they see something.
As we celebrate children today, it is must be a moment of sober reflection and action to protect and nurture our children.
WRITTEN BY IFEANYICHUKWU LEBECHUKWU
Comments are closed for this post.