The Nigerian Child, Peace And Security

The sobering plight of Africa’s, indeed, Nigeria’s children which has continued to attract significant concern worldwide, last Monday earned some attention at different fora across the world as Nigeria also joined the rest of humanity to observe the International Children’s Day.

Incensed by the grim conditions facing children, especially those in the developing world, such as Africa, the United Nations (UN) has since 1955, observed May 27 of each year as Children’s Day worldwide, and drawn attention, annually, to matters affecting children of the world.

So grim was the picture of the African child that the defunct Organisation of African Unity (OAU), in 1990 adopted an African Charter on children’s rights and welfare and went ahead to ratify a recommendation that  June 16 each year be observed as African Children’s Day. Also, the UN in 2003 set aside November 18 every year as World Child Abuse Day.

Despite these efforts, the fate of children across the world appears to worsen. The need for the world to do more for children has become rather obvious. But how much parents, societies and governments would be willing to do in this regard is hardly worth the mention.

The premium placed on the development of the child by humankind is not misplaced; in fact, if the wisdom in the sing-song that children are the leaders of tomorrow is properly distilled, we would come to terms with the stark reality that they are indeed the future.

Sadly however, parents and guardians and even stronger members of society exhibiting the might-is-right mentality, have religiously violated the rights of the child with impunity and brutal efficiency.  Child abuse and neglect have since been accepted as normal features of life as child labour, child soldiering, child prostitution, child battering, child pornography, child trafficking and kidnapping have become the order of the day.

Also worrisome are the discount on the health and feeding needs of the child, hence, cases of malnourishment and child morbidity remain unacceptably high even as problems traditionally associated with child bearing and upbringing have been further aggravated by the prevailing economic adversity and debilitating economic policies.

Consequently, children are conscripted as farm hands and have to forego schooling to hawk wares that hardly meet their needs, all in a bid to support the family economy. In the process, they are exposed to avoidable experiences that often lead to disease, untimely pregnancies, among others.

Interestingly enough, the Nigerian government has come close to addressing some aspects of the problems of her children with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Scheme which is supposed to ensure free and compulsory education for every child and make parents and guardians who flout the law to be prosecuted. But unfortunately, the law has been religiously observed in its breach.

In Rivers State, government is doing its modest lot to better the lot of children.  Well-equipped model schools and hospitals litter everywhere in the state, while school and medicare may be free for the child, but the case of proper upbringing by parents requires more. Indeed, mankind must look deeper and find the missing link because abused children can only become abusive elders. Those denied education on account of gender discrimination or religion or poverty can only become liabilities in the future.

Without a doubt, the role of the family needs a boost. Seriously, government can do more to lessen the economic burden on parents so that they can take care of their children and wards and feed them with virtues that would brighten their future and ensure the much-needed national peace and security. The maternal stipends granted pregnant and nursing mothers is only an aspect of a larger empowerment incentive.

Parents on their part must learn to produce only the number of children they can cater for and stop procreating so freely, so zealously, so unrestrainedly, so irrationally in a manner that vitiates government’s efforts at building a secure, peaceful, just and egalitarian society for its citizenry.

With the focus of the celebrations on building the culture of peace and security, the world body has reasoned well, and it is clear that for the peace of tomorrow, the child of today must be properly acculturated now to understand and indeed appreciate the sanctity of human life.

It is clear that there are already too many things now that can endanger the child. The internet, the drug dealer, the militant among others are distractions only a strong family and a supportive government can deal with.

But to succeed, all hands must be on deck, knowing that the child we educate, nurture and empower today will be the adult tomorrow, that determines our future, as a world.