Children represent products of the power of Man to regenerate his like and likeness in his environment and suitably subdue it for good. It could therefore be argued that without the birth of a child, there is little hope for Man to subdue and manage his ecosystem with all the attendant challenges. It should stand out for Man, as critical to his all-encompassing need to preserve his image to constantly evolve a global progressive socio-cultural and political agenda that is sensitive to the needs of children.
The national progressive socio-cultural and political agenda should clearly identify with children as the major driver. The said agenda should assume that in the choice of leaders at all levels, the future of society is not compromised. Indeed, the agenda should equip our children to exercise a capacity to play the role of preserving the core values of ethical humanity from generation to generation.
Over the years since the inception of socio-cultural activities of Man in his environment, the ‘survivalist instinct’ has been manifest in guiding Man’s choices. The choices he makes in his environment have since been underscored by a natural attachment to primitive primordial tendencies which have led to a phenomenal bane of society described by late Prof. Claude Ake as the “private appropriation of the public realm”.
This unfortunate state of affairs even in modern societies has led to such primitive primordial instincts like hate, inordinate cravings for material things, arrogance, selfishness, private appropriation of public property, graft, all forms of corruption have tended to vitiate Man’s capacity to wholesomely organise his society.
The result of this is the ever-present scenarios for deploying the physical instruments of that survivalist instinct to defending territories and prosecuting wars. And in this context, the real totem of Man’s future, our children, are subjected to gross decimation in their numbers.
The story today, in Nigeria and all over the world, is still that of graphic representations of Man’s scant regard for the welfare of children, largely borne out of his survivalist instinct. And what we have also witnessed in the circumstances is the constant retreat of the future in a maelstrom of impending extinction.
As children of Nigeria celebrate their Day, you, our children should pray and appeal to God to turn the hearts of your parents, adult Man, on their need to stay away from all forms of corruption and corruptive tendencies/ influences . This attitude would enable them to evolve and preserve a sane society for you to enjoy and in turn bequeath same to your own children in a future you and posterity would be proud of.
This is Bisike Series wishishing our children a belated Happy Children’s Day!
🥳🥳🌍❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎