As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate Children's Day today, some clerics have called on the Federal Government to refocus greater attention on the security and well-being of the child.
The Senior Pastor of the Foursquare Church in Asokoro, Abuja, Rev. Babajide Olowodola, who spoke yesterday at a service in commemoration of the Children's Day celebration, attributed the current wave of crime among Nigerian youths to the lessons they learnt from adults while growing up.
Olowodola said Nigeria might be heading for the precipice except urgent measures were taken to close some societal gaps capable of harming the children.
He said: "Violence, intolerance, corruption follow after a trickledown phenomenon. It trickles from the head down to the base of the pyramid and the children are watching. The best picture they are getting first is from the family.
"Our parents must make out more time for the kids, likewise our teachers. There are too many gaps that we see now, so the church has to rise and fill the gap.
"Unless we take urgent steps to moderate some of these societal gaps, Nigeria might be heading for the precipice.
"We must bring ourselves to the level of no ill-feelings or rancour. The children play together even after a quarrel. That should be the ethos of our country. We must lead good lives and show the children good example and neighbourliness. That is what we are celebrating."
Another pastor and Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Rev. Ibukun Odusote, frowned at the continued abuse and trafficking of children.
She urged parents to raise their children in a way that would guarantee their personal safety at all times.
Meanwhile, Globacom has affirmed its faith in the future of Nigeria, describing the country's children as highly talented and having the potentials to be world-beaters in all disciplines.
National Mirror