CHILD NEGLECT

From all ramifications, parents are supposedly saddled with

the responsibility of caring, protecting, training, loving their

children. Parents often see kids as God’s blessings in their

lives. A manifestation of the fruition of their fertility; God’s

providence. No wonder people who don’t have kids tend to

live a hapless life. There is this emptiness that thrives within

their hearts and this is juxtaposed with an endless hope that

one day they too will hear the cry/laughter of babies in their

homes. For this reason we call children “Bundles of Joy.”

> The child is born into an unfamiliar world, draws its first

breath and lets off a sound to announce its arrival to the

world. First few years for most children will remain most

enjoyed moments as parents and relatives will continue to

pour their love and fondness for the new member of the

family. Sadly, very few of us remember these moments and

if we do, we can only remember fragments of same.

> The child begins to get familiar with the world around him/

her but for some unexplained reasons the fondness and

love showered on him/her begins to wind down like the

effortless fall of dried leaves from the trees when the dry

winds of hamatan comes calling. Attention accrued the child

is taken away and this leaves him/her to the vulnerability of

a precarious world. To fit into this new world, the child

sheds off its innocence because by this time, no one

survives herein a world where innocence is recalcitrant to

survivor. That innocence that once endeared the child to all

and sundry is now torn off most times completely for the

sole aim of survival.

> In this part of the world, it is common place to see a young

boy/girl of about twelve, fifteen, and eighteen living a ‘my

life, my rules’ kind of life. These kids most times don’t live

with their parents nor with any of their relatives and this

does not bother the parents who pulled them from

wherever they were down to this sinful world. There are

instances where the children are forced to leave their homes

as a result of pressure from parents. I have heard a mother

say, “Fati are you not ashamed of yourself? Look at your

mates. Your mates are now making money and senvding

same to their parents and you are here eating my food

everyday. This house can not contain you and I again o!” The

said Fatimah is between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. A

period in life when a child is supposed to be groomed and

held under the auspices of their parents to prevent such kid

from falling prey to the predators of time. Question is, if the

said woman had started making money when she was

sixteen years old, will she be requesting money from a

sixteen year old child now that she is a mother? We can all

agree on the fact that she may have made so much money

not to need money from a little child who has no source of

income.

> The act of expectation from kids not minding the fact that

meaningful contribution has not been done to the moral up

bringing of same kids is to me the greatest of all evil. Even in

commerce you can not make profit from a business you did

not invest in. otherwise you become a common thief. Many

a time we come across youths with equivocally terrible

moral standards and begin to wonder where these

emanated from. The rate at which obscene immorality is

being perpetuated by some youths is nothing to write home

about as we begin to wonder from which pit of hell such

abominable menaces crawled out. A rhetoric that is not far

fetched.

> Yes, some of us have the tendencies of derailing no matter

how strict/disciplined our backgrounds may be. Fact is that

‘Child Neglect’ is not a feature of the poor as the rich are

found wanting in this regard too. It is common place to see/

hear parents disown their child in this part of the world

simply because of religious and sometimes political

differences or conflicts of interests. Neglecting any child for

any reason is to me an escape from accepting responsibility

as a parent. The harm caused by a child for choosing a

religion, supporting an ideology, interest or political party

outside the parent’s empathy is much more imperceptible

when compared to the array of problems that could arise

from neglecting same child; theft, armed robbery, thuggery,

vandalism, arson as well as other acts of insurgency/

terrorism and social vices that could decay our moral

standards of living in our micro and macro societies are

given birth to by this single act. It places our young beautiful

women in precarious situations where they resort to

prostitution, abortion, some are raped, impregnated and

they too follow suit by abandoning the kids they never

prepared for.

> Can we now say that there is any justification for Child

Neglect? Lets not be too quick in blaming the youths for

being what they are today as they are the seeds of long

standing trees who have failed in some regards. A seed does

not fall too far from the tree. The fact remains that we are all

products of the society that made us and the mere fact that

some of us have managed to break out of this degrading

factor to become exceptional is a sign that there is still hope

that we can all make it back to accepting the right values.

> Parents (rich or poor) should learn never to let their kids

off their watchful eyes physically, spiritually morally and

otherwise. Stand by them in discipline and prayers. Show

concern in their affairs. Don’t just be a father, be a Dad and

most importantly be your child’s BFF (BestFriendForever). It

is not enough to give your child money and whatever he/she

needs at all times. It is more about embarking on a life long

ethical journey of instilling the right values. Remember that

a child is a bundle of joy.

__Prince Jeremiah Kadiri