The ongoing tales of death, degradation, and destruction of public property coming from the northern part of our country, Nigeria, as a result of protests over what the demonstrators call bad governance, suggest that the North is overdue for a reassessment of its values. As a society, the North needs to take a second look at its long-established rules of public behavior and moral rectitude. Something has gone wrong—either by design or by accident—that seems to have eroded our values, virtues, and collective sense of correctness. This erosion is particularly evident among our youth, as demonstrated by the recent episodes of violence.
By Bala Ibrahim
The North’s long-respected values and principles of good conduct have been tainted by crookedness, dishonor, and immense immorality. The ongoing protests serve as evidence of this ethical decay. For things to deteriorate to such a pervasive level, where people who are supposed to uphold righteousness engage in looting and vandalism in a society that once prided itself as a custodian of modesty, something must have gone very wrong. This is an abnormality that deserves a reaction of unacceptability.
Young boys and girls—children, really—have been unleashed on society by parents who seem to lack a conscience, allowing them to direct their anger and hatred at anyone and anything that isn’t theirs. One of my late mentors, Dr. Bala Mohammed, of blessed memory, used to say that when you see things like these happening, you are witnessing the collapse of civilization and a return to barbarism.
Ironically, Dr. Bala Mohammed was barbarically murdered under circumstances similar to those now being displayed by Northern youths. It’s a tragic state of affairs.
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Indeed, the North is confronted with a conundrum, and the sooner people come together to address it, the better. A friend and senior colleague, who is a staunch advocate of probity and the advancement of core competence and uprightness in society, asked me a simple question: “Where are the parents of these children? Are they outsourcing their upbringing to the government?” He emphasized that parenting is about love. It’s good to have children, but it’s not enough to have them and then release them onto the streets to destroy the little that is available to society.
Parents are tasked by God, my boss said, to look after the children they bring into the world. It is the responsibility of parents to provide their children with things that are eternal, like a good education and upright upbringing. The reverse must not be allowed to happen. On no account should society permit poor parenting to overshadow responsibility. The North was once known for distinguishing between right and wrong behavior. Why the change now?
It’s heartening to hear that in some states, particularly in Kano, people have chosen to go spiritual. Concerned citizens of the state have decided to petition God through organized prayer sessions in mosques and churches, hoping to establish a spiritual connection with the Almighty to come to their rescue.
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As Nigeria stands today, everyone agrees that the bane of our society is corruption. Although when corruption is mentioned, most people think of financial corruption, there are even greater vices—such as the loss of moral virtues, values, and ethics. Once societal values are lost, they pave the way for various immoral acts like stealing, prostitution, corruption, and delinquency, among others.
Research has long established that a lack of morals and ethics can lead to individuals with selfish, greedy, and corrupt attitudes. Similarly, a lack of respect, civility, and proper etiquette can make it difficult for young people to maintain healthy relationships and interactions with others in society. Recently, the North was accused by a former governor from the Southwest of producing too many children without a corresponding plan for their upbringing. The former governor, who was quickly countered by his younger brother, was implicitly saying that the North is prioritizing quantity over the quality of its children. There may be some truth in his claim, and the North must take steps to correct this behavior that is breeding deliberate delinquency.
There is an unverified quote circulating on social media, attributed to a President of Senegal, that reads: “I don’t really want my picture in your offices. Because I’m not God, neither am I an icon, but I am a servant to the nation. Instead, put the pictures of your children so that you will look at them whenever you are about to make a decision.”
The time has come for parents in the North to be compelled to hang such a message on the walls of their rooms. If they have no rooms, they should hang it on the walls of their hearts—their conscience. That way, they can quench the quest for quantity over quality.
