₦airaland Forum

This write up about dis thieves should be on the newspaper headlines. Dubious network.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA ON CHILDREN'S DAY.
Over the years, I have heard cases of child's molestation, child trafficking and so on. I am not so pleased about the way the government of the nation is handling such cases. Government has over the years turned their deaf ears to the cry of the victims of rape, violence and trafficking. I have decided to write you a possible means I thought would help the nation to be a better place to live. Apart from securing the lives of our children in this nation, it will also help the country produce better and competent leaders in the future.
I wish to use this open letter to draw your attention to the positive result the Nation will derived, if the Government is involved in the proper upbringing of a child. Have you ever wondered why we have so many law enforcement agencies such as the Police, Navy, Army e.t.c and yet the crime rate in our country is still on a high side? Sir, I think it's because so many of the victims of child abuse don’t have proper upbringing. Research has shown that 70% of children who were abused as a child grow up to be violent. Which implies that, majority of people who commit crime today were victims of child abuse. I know of few NGO's in this nation who are involve in combating or reducing the rate of child abuse and also fight for the rights of children. These organizations also ensure proper child upbringing in our Nation. But, I think if the government is fully involved in matters that have to do with the right of children by creating an agency like "NATIONAL AGENCY AGAINST CHILD ABUSE or NATIONAL AGENCY ENSURING PROPER CHILD's UPBRINGING" that will have offices across the nation and their duties will be to ensure proper upbringing of children and ensure severe punishment is issued to the people guilty of child abuse. A place where people will run to, to report cases of rape, molestation, trafficking e.t.c. I strongly believe it will help to combat crime rate in the nearest future. Remember, children of today are the leaders of tomorrow but, if a child's life is being abused, what will become the fate of this nation in the nearest future? Let’s assume 80% of children raised in Nigeria have a proper upbringing, we will be facing little or no problem by now.
If we don’t come to the aid of children who were abused in Nigeria now, am afraid Corruption and crime will be the order of the day for a long time. I happened to be in the north sometimes ago and I saw an 11 year old boy smoking Cigarette, I stood back to think about what will become of such a child in the nearest future. I once read online that smoking a stick of cigarette is like subtracting 11mins from ones expected lifetime. Let’s imagine he smokes 2,000 sticks a year, I think he should not dream of becoming a grandfather. I also met a cab driver who told me he doesn’t know the type of children we are raising in this part of the world. He further explained and said a 13year old girl is persuading him a 45year old man to have sex with her. I paused for a minute and couldn’t say a word; he said he doubted if we still have virgins in this country. I laughed and said am 25years old and I am a virgin. He looked at me several times and said "I doubt if you can find someone of your age to be a virgin. I further said, "At this age, am even scared of having sex. I have not for once tasted alcohol and not even a palm wine. I think this is because of the upbringing I had as a child which many of the children out there don’t have and that is why I don’t blame some of them because they don’t have a proper upbringing. Take for example people who are guilty of domestic violence, I guess most of them might have seen their dad beating their mum. I was at a popular restaurant and I saw a child of about 3years old in the midst of three young ladies smoking heavily, she was ignorantly inhaling the smoke puffed out, I just imagined "what will become of such an innocent girl?" Have heard so many cases of child abuse on the Radio, Tv and all other media platforms of how a student flushed a baby in a pit latrine, how a man who was found guilty of raping a 4year old boy was granted bail and so on.
You will agree with me that the government should be fully involved in securing the future of this nation by giving every child an elementary education, ensuring their proper upbringing and ensuring severe punishment for people found guilty of child abuse. Whatever a child learns at a tender age becomes part and parcel of such a child. It will be difficult for such a child to derail from whatever he/she might have learnt as a child. Children should not be found in some places like Nightclubs, Bars e.t.c . Let the Government stand to their responsibilities by implementing all I have said earlier and our country will become a better place for everyone.
Let's say "No to child's rape, molestation, and trafficking." Take Action! Thank you for your time.
Yours faithfully, Oyedepo Adekola