SPEECH DELIVERED BY DR. MURPHY ODUKOYA ON INDISCIPLINE AMONG YOUTHS AT A PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM ORGANISED BY THE YOUTH CLUB OF IKEJA ON THE 18TH OF DECEMBER 1990.
The Chairman. President and worthy members of the prominent youths' club, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. I am very happy to be among you this afternoon I was highly honoured when I was asked to come and deliver this talk on the rightly chosen topic: 'Indiscipline Among Youths.
There is no other appropriate time for this topic than now when the whole country is sinking under the heavy yoke of indiscipline. Indiscipline is any action. utterances and societal behaviour that run contrary to the norms, customs, laws and conventions of the society. It is prevalent among youths who often channel their youthful energy and agility towards actions and behavioural patterns which negate the rightful societal norms, actions and behavioural expectations.
Flagrantly, youths disrespect elders and constituted authorities They indulge in criminal activities like frauds, popularly known as 419, forgery, violent assassinations, robbery. violent demonstrations, prostitution and other forms of indiscipline.
Why are our youths so much involved in indiscipline? This is a serious question that should agitate the minds of every meaningful Nigerian. Mr. Chairman. and Ladies and Gentlemen. the reasons are not far fetched. Indiscipline starts from the home. It is obvious today that many parents fail to find time to train their children. Parents abandon their wards to nannies when they are babies and to teachers in the schools when they grow up to school age. As a result of the economic depression in the country, parents who should be taking care of the children go out very early in the morning to come back late. It causes indiscipline among youths in the sense that parents no longer have time for their children. They usually go out early in the morning and come back late in the night. Some parents are drunkards and cocaine addicts. What moral lesson will such parents give to their children?
Peer group influence is another factor responsible for the decline in discipline among our youths. There is truism in the biblical saying that bad company corrupts good manners. Some youths are greatly influenced by their bad friends. They easily join their mates who smoke Indian hemp. sniff cocaine and do some other horrible things. Female youths easily go into prostitution so as to augment the income they can get from their. parents.
Similarly, societal influence has caused a decline in the level of discipline in our society. Our society encourages indiscipline. Nigerians worship money and those who acquire. material wealth by crooked means are praised instead of being treated with scorn. It is the belief of most youths that it is a great sin to be poor in the country and that they must have wealth by all means. This has made them to embrace all sorts of evils like bribery, embezzlement, fraud and forgery which, they believe, bring money.
However, can the situation be altered? What future do our youths have? I still believe that there must be a way out. After all, when there is life, there is hope. This means that if we want to eradicate indiscipline among our youths, all hands must be on deck. The home which is the nucleus of the society and the government must be ready and committed to inculcate discipline in our youths. I want to use this opportunity to advise all parents to spare time to train their children and teach them moral lessons. Parents should also give them sound education because the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. The future of our country depends on how well we train our children.
In addition, our churches and mosques have a lot of work to do in this matter They should be the epitome of good manners and they should give moral lessons to encourage our youths to be of good behaviour.
Finally. the society should always praise and reward hardwork, exemplary display of discipline, honesty and other good virtues. Indisciplined youths, drug peddlers, fraudsters and robbers should be reprimanded and treated with scorn When we implement these suggestions, we would have been on the way to achieving a disciplined society.