Two sets of parents in Kasoa, today, must be going through very traumatic moments. Eleven year old Ishmael Mensah’s parents hope that he would one day become a great man in society has been nipped in the bud, rather that hope is replaced by trauma with the message gradually sinking in that their boy is dead and gone. Without any provocation, he was killed by some other children.
The parents of sixteen years old Felix Nyarko and seventeen years old Nicholas Kini who also had hopes of their boys growing to be responsible citizens, have been replaced with the trauma of the entire two families being forever stigmatised and tagged as homes of ritual murderers.
The nation as a whole is now saddled with the problem of children and youth unruly conducts which is sending the whole country into a state of lawless people.
Felix and Nicholas were alleged to have killed Ishmael as a sacrifice for rituals to make them get very wealthy.
I also read somewhere, in a related development, of Archbishop Elisha Salifu Amoako of Alive Chapel International’s comments on this murder issue. Two things he said, one in which he blamed such crimes on poverty in the country, and the other he blamed licensing of spiritualists who come on televisions to advertise how they can make people get rich quick overnight.
With the last point, I do agree with him. I believe that what we allow to be shown on television greatly influence our children. However, I will beg to differ with the first point. Poverty is not to blame for such waywardness of our youth and children.
Our grandparents and parents lived under dire situations, however, they were responsible enough that in that state of poverty they engaged in hard work which resulted in their lives and those of their wards being turned around for the better.
The likes of Prof. Adu Boahen, who walked eight miles to and fro school, is one classic example. His father was not rich to own a vehicle that would take him wherever he wanted to go. In that state he and his parents set their mind on his progressing in education so that he could become somebody, and, indeed, he became somebody.
Some workers in lowly placed jobs like cleaners, messengers, etc., train their children to lead to live good lives and make them accept that hard work pays. Today, such children excel through education to become successful lecturers, lawyers, judges, bankers, accountants to name a few.
The problem we are facing in this country is that we do not instil acts of responsibility into our children. There is the much touted about “Child Rights,” but no where do we hear or have “Child Responsibility.” No one has ever thought of the fact that it is the Responsibility which is more important to the Child than his or her Right. We cannot build society like this, where the Child is given so much liberty to do whatever he or she likes, because preventing them or correcting them will mean breaking the Law because their Rights are being infringed upon.
If the parents of Felix and Nicholas had been responsible enough to teach their wards the right way they should go, they would not have taken this wrong path in life. But maybe the system we are in now might have made it impossible to be that responsible. Our system on Child care is rather making our children careless.
A story I was told about – an African American mother who was invited to the execution of her son. She said: “If the state had allowed me to bring up my son as I deem fit, he wouldn’t have ended up here.”
With the current crime wave sprouting up from our youth, sooner than later, this country of ours will became ungovernable. Corruption is now alarmingly high among the youth, even within those gainfully employed. The rules of the office are only on paper; the staff involved have their own terms of dealing with clients and customers.
It is from these that we get some of them entering into politics and when a few politicians become corrupt, the whole institution is tagged as corrupt. If we do not bring up our children and wards to be responsible, why should we expect them to be such when they grow up? The political institution is perhaps the least corrupt.
The ages of Felix and Nicholas are not too clear. Varying reports give varying ages, but if we even peg their ages at nineteen, is that an age where one can own a Range Rover without engaging in any known trade or business? It will not be like they travelled abroad for two to three years and they came back home with cars and other goodies, but just over night, they come fully loaded with cash and properties.
Sadly, society will kowtow to them and elevate them above the wise and honest people. The little development projects they put up will earn them the honour of been made development chiefs/queens in the area.
Not a lot of people will question their source of wealth and the few that do, will be labelled as envious good-for-nothing citizens. Meanwhile we watch on as our country descends into the abyss of wretchedness.
It is about time the traditional leadership, religious leaders and politicians come out with codes of conduct that will instil discipline and responsibility with our growing children. It is only after they are disciplined and responsible that we can talk about Child Rights.
Hon Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The post Where are the Responsibilities of the Child? appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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