Oftentimes, seeing youths between the ages of 15 to 25 in the neighborhood moving with shorts always sent a bad signal on the level of recklessness of parents, the community as well as the authorities.
These boys, not only moving in shorts, many were always under the influence of hard drugs, capable of Influencing them to engage in immoral acts/behavior such as thievery, thuggery and burgalary. They plunder on any available and easy accessible properties on their sight. The number of these species is increasing by the day, at the highest rate in fact, in almost every community of the state and in almost every state of the federation.
The question that always comes to the mind of keen observers is, do these streets urchins lived with their parents? Do the parents passively approved their mode of outfit? A member of a volunteer vigilante organization informed me that almost 99% of these urchins lived with their parents and they are the first to come for their rescue in the event they were arrested for any of crimes listed above. And in most cases, the parents will acts that their wards were framed for the crime they knew nothing about.
He also explained to me that, in some cases, the parents of the suspect/culprits and complainant/victims may choose an out of Court settlement to avoid further publicising the issue. In the case of rape or stealing, in the event the issue reached the court rooms, lacking the required evidences to convince the courts for a proper judgement and sentencing, these always become their bottleneck; loosing cases make them loose the moral of their voluntary activities. It also sent a bad signal to their role in the communities they are working tirelessly to protect.
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. Many a parent will tell you that he did all he could to ensure that his child have become a good person, but his effort proved to be abortive due to the influence of bad friends. Some parents may confided that they have been to many places for spritual help, yet the child irresponsibility is always increasing, hence waiting for God to do some rescue miracle.
The community itself as a contributor to the good well being of it’s members is now a shadow of it’s former self, in the past every adult member of the society can punish offenders, the parents will in return thanks him for that( Ai Da Na Kowa ne) but today, the reverse is the case,as many parents look their children as theirs and no one, I mean no body including the religious and community leaders will dare to punish their wards in the event of any misbehaving or misconduct.
The police and the courts were also facing the same challenges,this is not ignoring their mischievous tendencies of compromise as the case may be.
The NDLEA and the pharmacist council of Nigeria on the other hand may not be spared, for allowing the culprits of drug dealers carrying out their business with impunity, the legislative and the Executive arm of government are too not giving the issue the deserved attention.
The recent #ENDSARS destruction in some major cities, the activities of plunders of #Covid19 palliative materials and the recent attack in the members of the vigilante organization in the state are a testimony that we are dealing with a delicate situation,yet not giving the necessary needed attention. The social Media as a major tool of communicating these days also played a major role in compounding the situation.
Recently,the Bauchi State Police Command paraded about 30 suspects arrested in connection with the attack of (Yan Kwamiti) at Kofar Dumi and robbery activities at the Zango/ IDC area of the metropolis; most of the arrested criminals were between the ages of 18-22, a very worrisome situation to every discernible minds which need a holistic approach in order to bring an end to it.
The solution to these and many other problems not mentioned is not far fetched. It requires only serious minded leadership that is determined and focused in sanitising the society. This will not be possible overnight though, but it requires an analysed and practicable working documents and enforcement to reach the desired destination. Any other actions that refused to do the first thing first, will only compound the situation.
Parents most stand firmly on their feets to carry out their parental responsibilities; the community must also returned to it’s earliest status of moulding a good society.
Authorities must also stand firm on the objectives of their establishment ( Police,Courts,NDLEA PCN,NOA etc), Our religious as well as traditional leaders and the Media must do everything humanly possible within their power to ensure that the society returned to it’s earlier truest status.
Government on the other hand must also see the need of having a standard rehabilitation center for the teeming drugs addicts, equipped skills acquisition centers to accommodate and trained the unemployed ones, apply and the provide required machineries and punishments to the offenders without fear or favor. These may possibly provide a headway in addressing the level of moral decadence in the society.
Isyaka Laminu Badamasi, writes from No 555 Ajiya Adamu Road, Bauchi and can be reach on 08033665510, makwalla82@gmail.com.
