Recently I noticed I can’t stop
bothering about the future of Nigeria regarding the fact that the psychological
well-being of her young citizens gets practically no attention from their
immediate society let alone the government. Like its reputation is of no
importance - like it had not been allotted any ounce of significance - like it doesn’t
matter anywhere in the world anymore.
It all became obvious when I joined
my siblings at the living room some weeks ago to look at what seems like the Xmas
party of one of the primary schools in Lagos. Of course it was boring - at
least to a highly demanding viewer like me. Lots of activities enlisted for
that event must have been aired already before I joined them.
Before long there was a choreographic
display by some of the pupils. Their unsynchronized dance steps seem to suggest
confusion and I got to understand why, almost immediately. “…No be you I carry
come, but na you I go carry go…” was detected by my probing ears as part of the
lyrics superimposed on the groovy beat been choreographed. I became disturbed
amidst battling with some sort of annoyance that had precipitated within me. “Why
would such a piece of music be performed by kids, to an audience significantly populated
by kids?” I asked myself intrapersonally. With my eyes still drifting around
the communicated portion of the event, I noticed staffs, parents, guardians and
other member of the matured audience watching the performance with no form of disapproval.
It was so awful that I had to go back to my room which was more of an
instinctive response as against asking for a change of dial been an
authoritative figure in that gathering.
Several weeks gone and I’m still troubled.
I’m more troubled because a vast majority of Nigerians will not see anything
wrong with kids choreographing a song with such message. It’s not about being
religious as some may readily classify my concern. It’s about been pragmatic or
realistic as some may readily grasp.
These kids should be respected
enough not to get involved with the craze in their society sooner than sanity
demands. Should they suffer the consequences of not been able to provide
themselves with songs that reflect their own interests? Like they hadn’t depended
on the adults for almost everything else?
Has anyone else thought for a second
what this overlooked status can result to years from now when today kids will be
putting on the shoe today adults would have taken off after nature’s order?
Of course nobody wants to raise
an unhealthy child. In fact lots of parents toil day and night to ensure their
kids well groomed. This i observe often with a praying heart. However, very few
seem to cater for the psychological well-being of their children and this
insinuates that they don’t understand it‘s importance well enough.
A developed country is simply a defined
landmass populated by developed minds and not developed pockets. However, if this
pragmatic principle is unapologetically violated even at the primary level of
education, imagine the disastrous aftermath of such a generation. I rest my
case.
