Oftentimes, seeing youths between the ages of 15 to 25 in the neighborhood moving with shorts always sends a bad signal on the level of recklessness of parents, the community as well as the authorities.
Many of these boys are always under the influence of hard drugs, which influence them to engage in immoral acts such as theft, thuggery and burglary. They plunder any available and easily accessible properties on their sight. Their number is increasing by the day in almost every community.
- Kidnappers of Kuje 5 siblings demand N30m ransom
- Bandits kill 5, abduct Imam, 30 other congregants in attack on Zamfara village
The question that always comes to the mind of keen observers is, do these streets urchins live with their parents? Do the parents passively approve of their mode of outfit?
It is sad to discover that majority of them live with their parents who come to their rescue if they are arrested by law enforcement agents.
Parents as the first teachers of their wards are largely the cause of these societal problems from the onset, as they failed to do their God-given responsibilities of people.
The community itself, which serves as a guardian to its members does not play that role again. In the past, every adult member of society can punish an unruly child and its parents will in return thank him for that. But today, the reverse is the case, as many parents take offence when an outsider punishes their child.
Things are made worse because many government institutions saddle with the task of sanitising the society are not living to the expectation.
The recent #EndSARS violence in some major cities has shown that we are dealing with a delicate situation yet we are not giving it the necessary attention.
The solution to these and many others is not far-fetched. It requires only serious-minded leadership that is determined and focused to sanitise the society. This will not be possible overnight though. It requires careful planning and enforcement.
Parents must also be firm in taking their responsibilities.
The government must also see the need of having a standard rehabilitation centre for the teeming drug addicts, equipped skills acquisition centre to accommodate and train the unemployed ones as well as ensure punishment of those who go against the law.
Isyaka Laminu Badamasi, Bauchi. ([email protected])
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