Recently, I reminisced with nostalgia, the beautiful life Nigeria as a society used to be. Way back in the seventies, straight down to eighties and early noughties, Nigeria had a peaceful social setup void of any form of violence, except for habitual events of burgling and armed robbery which has become a mainstay in developing societies. Incidence of sexual violence - though existing - was the rarest of social vices treated by the force. Fast forward two decades, it's a different ball game entirely. Sexual coercion, abuse and molestation is now the 'bread and butter' of the society. Rape cases and other forms of sexual assaults are no longer a strange news in the tabloids or media outlets and are now perceived as a normal and common phenomenon.
Rooted at the base of the advent of this vices is the the obscenity known as sexual immorality.
purity and involves any type of sexual expression outside the boundaries of a biblically defined marriage relationship. Unfortunately, sexual morality is now a trait commonly found wanting amidst the present day youths. Gone are the days when sex used to be a sacred covenant between two mutual matured parties. In fact, the respect for it is totally non-existent. It is now abused across different age grades. While growiing up, the closest I came to knowing much about sex was in towards the completion of my secondary school education. Even after being of age, talks of sex and its attributes are said in hush tone with utmost respect. Today, ask any eight year old Nigerian child about sex and you'll marvel at the reply you get.
This moral decay has become something of a nightmare to me and the society has kept virtually mute about it, playing the role of the proverbial old woman who sits in the market but this time watches as the head of a child tilt awkwardly on the mother's back. Why? We've refused to keep up with the pace of this global decadance and we're left with the 'Afro-Nigerian' culture intertwined with the western tradition.
The major reason for the increase in the rate of sexual immorality can be traced to the inability of concerned parties to play the required and essential roles needed in the formative stage of the Nigerian child.
The Parents
Parents are the most important factor in this cycle because the act begins and the most definitely ends with them. Regrettably, most parents have ceded and relapsed in their responsibility as a child keeper. Parents are no longer readily available to instil the basic moral learning required for a child's upbringing. They'd rather dedicate their time to work and social functions leaving their ward(s) at the mercy of unjust society menaces. Children are now more at liberty to watch any TV programme despite the respective censor gradings attached to it. They take no recognizance of the ratings by the Nigeria Films and Videos Censor Board (PG13, PG, 18 etc). Thus, these children are exposed to obscene, cruel and immorally violent scenes. Parental control guidance on digital satellite TV are ignored by parents. They allow their ward(s) to watch movies and programmes way above their age and intellection. Children have cognitive memory so they easily grab these bad acts and in turn practice them. I once saw a video clip of a four years old boy and eight years girl having sex. These children after being caught and quizzed disclosed that the sexual acts performed were conned from the movies they saw. Alarming, horrendous but true! This can easily be tracked down to the parents negligence on their ward(s).
Role of the Media
Sometimes ago, a popular pentecostal ministry banned her members from watching TV or owning a TV set. The news was greeted with much criticism and negativity. Thus, the directive didn't live long enough to enact its effects. Raunchy pictures and salacious programmes are aired daily by various media outlets. Times without number have I watched TV programmes that depicts only sexual desires. The respect for our moral cultural values have been blown away with the desert wind. These media outlets which are supposed to be saddled with the responsibility of sensitizing the present generation on the abhorrent sexual immoralities are now at the forefront; indirectly spearheading the continuos prominence of this iniquity. And the victims? You guessed right, the unsuspecting innocent children who feast heavily on these insane and repugnant programmes. Now I understand why that pentecostal ministry made that audacious move. A pity it didn't see the light of the day.
The Entertainment Sector
Commercial and economic wise, the entertainment sector without doubt have become one of the driving force behind the resurgence of the Nigerian economy. From urban music down to epic movies, it has found its way into the heart of every Nigerian, a force to reckon with on the continent as well as etching the country on a global showpiece. Despite the positivities that can drawn from the entertainment sector, its cons however outweighs its pros. It is one of the brains behind the decadency of moral values and promotion of licentious and unchaste customs. Visuals and musical lyrics portray sexual desires, immoralities and bad ethical motives. Movies still got a little sense of sanity in them but music and its corresponding videos are nothing to write home about. Olamide's Story for the gods and MayD's Soundtrack are typical example. The message content, graphical presentation and picture delivery depict nothing but sexual pleasure. One might argue that the video content is not meant for the underaged but can you control the mass viewing? Capital NO! Gone are the days of music with quality content in terms of message and inspirational drive. That era is totally gone and the entertainment world has now been baptized with sexual violence and obscene graphics. Whatever a child view today might be of little importance at the moment but the picture will continue to play deep on his/her memory for a foreseeable future. Imagine the kind of message the songs mentioned above will pass to an eight years old boy or girl who let's say accidentally stumbled on the video. I know you've got the Pinky and the Brain effects going on in your head right now. "Pinky, Are you pondering what I'm pondering? I think so Brain". Your guess is as good as mine.
PLEASE DROP YOUR COMMENTS/QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENT BOX BELOW. WE VALUE YOUR OPINION!
Join me again next week as we look into the concluding part of this vital topic. Until next Wednesday, do have a great week ahead!
Author: LAMBE OLANREWAJU
John 8:7
ReplyDelete