May 27: Expediency Of Not Leaving Our Children To Chance
If there is anything that should unite Nigerians; irrespective of religious and ethnic leanings, it is that of ensuring that Nigerian children are well cared for and protected as that was how our forefathers were wont to do in the bid to ensure that we are not left to chance amidst the vicissitude of life. Aptly put, the wellbeing of Nigerian children in their days was everybody's business. They ensured that every child is well and responsibly brought up with collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, including those across homes, schools, communities, churches, private and public sectors.
It is against the foregoing background that all parents should on this day, May 27, 2022, being Children’s Day, celebrate the importance of children, even as the day will provide policymakers and families with ample opportunity to consider the personal development of young Nigerians, and equally provides a conducive atmosphere to deeply reflect on their collective wellbeing, and encourage greater promotion and protection of their rights.
You may have been wondering why this writer in this context is pushing for the care of children’s collective wellbeing. To assuage your wonderment, it is expedient to say that there is no gainsaying the fact that children are the future of Nigeria as a nation. Without them, the nation’s hope of building a youthful and productive workforce greatly diminishes, particularly now that the basic family structure appears imbalanced. As we the adults in our various spheres are making efforts to ensure that every child we come across becomes responsible, we should always have it at the back of our minds that everyone who is an adult today passed through the childhood phase. The stage is unique because it is marked with moral instructions, home training and fundamental education. It is at this phase that children’s learning ability develops. If guided in the right path, children can perform marvelously more than us; the adults. And if not, they can evolve into individuals that are capable of terrorizing a whole nation as been witnessed today in most parts of the country, particularly in the northern part of the country.
Analyzed from the foregoing perspective, it would be understood if their welfare exceedingly mattered to the Nigerian government or not. The overused slogan that “Children are the leaders of tomorrow” still exists but many of these so-called leaders are not receiving as much support from their parents and the governments. Though governments have so many responsibilities and may lay claim on diverse excuses, parents remain the major custodians of their own children.
To my view as a mother, I, Sandra Ijeoma Okoye, on today’s occasion of Children’s Day, hereby urge all governments, through their agencies, and people in general to put children first and prioritize children’s related issues to ensure every child survives, thrives, develops to the full potential and participates in the society. The reason for the foregoing plea cannot be farfetched as children are the main resource of this country, and we have to protect them without leaving any chance to the detriment of their collective future.
To put it clearly, Children’s Day is a special day to recognize, honor, celebrate and appreciate children who are invariably and naturally God’s gifts. The celebration is held on different days in several countries. In Nigeria, it is celebrated on 27th May, annually. Children are said to be gifts from God. It doesn’t matter the sex and physical state or condition of the child. These children are the future of many generations. It is against the foregoing peculiarities that they are made of that attention must be paid to their spiritual, physical, emotional, educational and social wellbeing.
Since it was ratified for celebration in Nigeria, Children’s Day has remained a blissful day for the children as it annually offers them the pedestal of making visitations to other homes and also showcases their personalities and talents in the various activities performed during their celebration.
To my view, today, being Children’s Day, should be used to deeply reflect on how the government and society have consistently failed to respect children’s rights and amplify their voices. If we look at the situation of children across the country, there has been less progress towards according respect to their rights over the last years. The foregoing view, no doubt, finds expression in a situation where only children of the rich and political elites have the chance of survival as against that of children of the poor who are neglected and denied of their rights, particularly in area of good education. As if that is not enough, they are malnourished and comparatively few of them are going to quality schools. However, on this very important day, there is need to focus on those children who still require commitment and support from the government. We all; the family, neighbours, teachers and governments have collective role to play in ensuring that responsible children are nurtured to adulthood.
Today is unarguably a day that offers children to talk about issues that are important to them. Again, with recent unpalatable happenings in some private schools, I think today is auspicious enough to urge proprietors and teachers across private schools to ensure that their schools are safe place for children to learn. There should be no violence in school, and all students should respect each other. School facilities should be clean, and teachers should give attention to all students.
In fact, parents, should today, being Children’s Day, remember that every child has his or her own dreams. They should know what their children want to do, spend more time with their children and encourage them to achieve their dreams. They need to tell their kids: you can do it!”
Having said enough in this context, it is expedient to urge all stakeholders in the lives of the children not to leave our children to chance. In fact they should be supported to become responsible for us to experience less crisis in the future. To put it bluntly, the rising insecurity across the country today is unarguably been fueled by irresponsible children.
Sandra Ijeoma Okoye (Author)