𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 By 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂
Few days ago, I bumped across a video of three young girls being paraded in handcuffs before the press by Bayelsa State Police Command. Wondering what their crimes could be at that seemingly age of innocence, because none of them looks above 21 as they later confirmed in their confessional statements, I immediately clicked the comment section where the details was posted, alas it was a case of attempted murder, abduction, cyber bullying and more.
The trio, all university students were allegedly involved in the brutal assault of a 19-year-old Nancy after they had lured her into an apartment, pounced on her, humili*ted her, stripp*d her, stepped on her, filmed the escapade and released on the social media. At the centre of their disagreement was allegation that one of the assailants was involved in the use of “kaya mata” (a native aphrodisiac laced with certain powers I was told) to win the love of a certain man of interest. Additionally, they admitted to being high in alcohol before embarking on the mission that has since attracted widespread condemnation.
This is just one of the many cases of this generation not exercising restraint, patience, virtue and good behaviour. It is a case of needless rush be the complainant, the judge and the executioner — all rolled in one. Whatever that has happened to our established laws, whatever that has happened to due process and the mill of justice irrespective of how slowly it grinds.
The innocence associated with young age has suddenly fizzled away. Anyone is now a suspect and children can no longer be given benefit of doubt. The era when friends resolve issues among themselves without resorting to self-help and jungle justice has been thrown to the dogs. The milk of sympathy, love, decency and contentment which mothers impact on their children has dried off. We now have 20-year-olds who are already procuring “kaya mata” to keep a man. We now have children who have replaced water with alcohol, drinking themselves to stupor and committing atrocious crimes, even against themselves when they should be busy moulding a future of purpose.
This speaks to failure of parenting. Parents are unwittingly aiding this rush to destruction by mounting needless pressures on their children — pressure to make wealth by all means, pressure get married, pressure to give them grandchildren, pressure to make them “proud”, even pressure to compete with what is not competing with them. Shortcut has replaced due process while hurry has taken the place of purpose.
Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede at a recent public engagement spoke of how parents prematurely enroll their children for UTME, in some case from SS 1 just because they are in a haste to answer the mother/father of a doctor, lawyer or whatever course they are rushing their children to study. This clearly undermines rules and make jest of set standards. What the rush for?
Today, the only indices of success the society sees is the size of your Mercedes Benz. That is why there is this fixation for “making mama proud”. Internet fraud and thievery now branded as “hustle” is on the boom in the community of young people. In fact, you are seen as not civilised if you are not doing it. Things we never imagined could happen in the past are now with us. Children now use their parents for ritual purposes. Parents now sell their children to make money. Siblings now conspire to kidnap their parents to receive ransom. There is total breakdown of morals and values. Family bond has broken. Decency, piety and hardwork have been sacrificed in the alter of desperation, greed and unmitigated thirst to “hammer”. A generation in a mad rush to self-de*truct.
Parents should begin to growth their children, instead of just supervising their growth. Growthing involves family bonding and intentional transfer of morals that teach love, care, sympathy, consideration and tolerance. The society has succeeded in milling out children who are not grounded in values but left to street to raise because the parents themselves are either in disarray or lost in the quest for survival. There are a thousand and one of the Bayelsa girls who represent everything but what any parent wants as a child. Parents who fail to act now may end up watching their children being paraded in handcuffs. May that never be our fate!
