Talking about morality and family values in our time and age is not only tendentious but could also be referred to as meaningless platitudes. America began to crumble because of the mutability of family values. The United Kingdom school system started to disintegrate because inviolable rights and principles were thwarted. Wickedness and oppression multiplied in Nigeria not because of incompetent government or an unstable economy; rather, the desperation to achieve fame, acquire wealth, and get instant results marooned the conscience of the nation.
Values are individual beliefs that motivate people to act in one way or another. They serve as a guide for human behaviour. Generally, people are predisposed to adopt the values that they are raised with. People also tend to believe that those values are “right” because they are the values of their particular culture. Godly principles are no longer instilled in children by parents citing poverty as a reason; thereby, the future and destiny of these children are threatened. The praxis of being on top or getting ahead of others has ruined lives and truncated the foundation of many families. Parents delude themselves of their fealty to God by striving to give a bright future to their children. Therefore, our young people are bedraggled and awkward in thoughts and deeds due to the erosion of family values.
Family values refer to the moral principles, beliefs, and attitudes that shape the behaviour and interactions within a family. For instance, respect, love, trust, communication, responsibility, teamwork, empathy, forgiveness, gratitude, integrity, compassion, and spirituality are different forms of values in the family. Youths and young couples put faith in faith or fate, taking hasty decisions that would result in detestable consequences. A society that is not guided by rules, values, or principles would never achieve a common goal/good. Youths are seen to be valorous in obnoxious practices that will fetch them fortune or wealth. Desperation is a feeling that you have when you are in such a bad situation that you are willing to take risks in order to change it.
Desperation is a state of hopelessness when one cannot wait or expect betterment to a critical situation. Desperation is a recipe for disaster. It’s a formula for catastrophe and doom. Due to lack of patience, endurance, and perseverance, young people embark on splenetic missions that smite their ego in the long run. It’s desperation that forced many youths in Anambra State to embrace the “Oke-ite” ritual championed by Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki, Prophet Onye Eze Jesus a.k.a. aka na-asa uchu, and a host of others. They kill or harvest human body parts in order to make quick money. Students in the higher institution would want to be richer than their lecturers; hence, they visit diviners and ritualists who set them on a path of no return.
We celebrate warriors. We adore winners; winners in the jungle of life. Even though there is a struggle, we are irritated by whiners and do not have any space for wimps. Such is the nature of our life on earth, and our youths are ready to shed innocent blood just to be celebrated. Blood is thicker than water, and the spirit of whoever is killed for ritual purposes remains restless and would often reek off. Wishing to be crowned a champion when you have not worked hard in the race of life tantamounts to bewitchment. In such occurrences, the warrior becomes a weakling, and the vanquisher turns into a victim. Why? Values and principles of existence were ignored.
The story has it that a 100-level university student visited a Babalawo in order to make wealth, and he was asked to sleep with a pregnant woman. Another 24-year-old boy was asked by a ritualist to kill a pregnant woman and bring the baby into her womb for ritual purposes. Desperation and lack of moral principles push the youths and couples to capitulate and give Satan a foothold in their lives. A couple in Lagos had two children. Then, the wife, on a suspicion that the husband was engaging in extra-marital affairs, used a sniper to kill herself and the two children.
Economic hardship is a major cause of desperation as many young people struggle to find employment, make ends meet, and provide for their families. The lack of financial stability and security could lead to rash decisions. Hardship would not lead us to evil if our hearts are attuned to right living. Those who faint in adversity already have a weak spirit. Even with the introduction of the Students Loan Act, there’s still limited access to education and opportunities. The barriers to job training and employment opportunities lead to frustration. Foolish people always make decisions out of anger and anxiety. They become impulsive and reckless, causing regrettable harm to themselves and their families. A young man got a loaf of bread from a ritualist, which would be given to the mother for money-making rites.
Many communities in Igbo land stigmatise the poor and unemployed, and such socio-cultural pressures motivate the youths to shameful acts in order to fulfil family and community obligations. Corruption and poor governance, which are the bane of Nigeria’s democracy, do not guarantee access to resources, opportunities, and basic services, leading to widespread disillusionment amongst the youths.
Regardless of the global conflict, economic inequities, political stalemates, racial strife, or class discrimination, we are expected to put our hands on the plough without looking back. You may be staring at a zero balance in your account or contesting a marriage that seems shattered beyond restoration; that’s not enough reason to jettison morality and family values. The common denominator for all of us is struggle, and let there be no shortage of it for our growth and advancement. The family should come before career or money, for it is the most important unit of society. Our youths should be ingenious in whatever they have chosen to do. Parents must prioritise quality time with their children, instill discipline, and serve as role models. Schools and religious institutions should reinforce moral discipline and character development. The decline in parental guidance, moral discipline, and community support has left many young people struggling to find direction, often turning to crime, fraud, and other unethical means to survive. Church attendance and fellowship are the best solutions to the restiveness of our youths. Such habits will guide their steps and quicken their resolve.
Obiotika Wilfred Toochukwu: Living Grace Restoration Assembly Inc.Nkono-Ekwulobia, Aguata L.G.A. Anambra State.
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