Children's Day; Ensuring a better nation through development of our children.

In Nigeria,Chilren's day is usually celebrated today 27th May annually.This started in the year 1979 which was the International year of the child as proclaimed by the United Nations.Although we know that the International Children's Day originated in Turkey(April 23,1920)and later in the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva,Switzerland in 1925.It is usually celebrated on June 1 in Turkey and many communist countries,but many countries have their own different days of celebration.

About 19 years ago,I was in the hospital on this day when my colleagues were on the field marching and engaged in inter-school 100m dash and relay competitions.It was in commomeration of the annual Children's day as we call the International Day of the Child locally.Of course,we always look forward to this day with excitement as it affords us an holiday and funfare of the celebration at the Township stadium(in which each school strive to outperform the other).We seem to believe in those days that all there is to the Children's day was the March past and the athletic competition!

Today I am an adult.I don't have an holiday today as I used to in those days.However,the concern that I have these days whenever today comes annually is not in any way a reflection of celebration.It seems to me that the world is getting worse and with increasing hostilities and disregard for the welfare and dignity of children.

First and foremost,there is the menace of child trafficking that has become so rampant in our society to the point that it no longer evoke the right emotion of disgust and concern that it should.It is fast becoming a normal phenomenom in our national psyche.It has come to a point that parents more or less beg the perpetrators of these act to take their own children.This of course is a reflection of the spate of poverty in the land.One cannot imagine the effect of this vice on the overall mental psychic of the child.What with the issue of parental separation and deprivation with all the attendant effects.It is modern day slavery!

Closely related to child trafficking is the issue of child labour and prostitution.Of course,the main purpose of trafficking is to provide cheap labour and services.Many of these children are used as sex slaves in foreign lands which have damaging effect of their self esteem,social relations and mental health.There is an alarming increase in the number of children street trading which exposes them to the risk of accidents, rape, illicit drugs and their attendant sequele.
There is an increase in the number of orphans and vulnerable children in our society.What with the issue of HIV/AIDS that have created a lot of orphans in its wake.The security situation is also getting worse; we now hear of children who are kidnapped for ritual purposes and also for ramsome as it is becoming common in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.

With all the above,what kind of adults and future leaders do we intend to make out of our children in this generation and the next? What kind of followership do our leaders also expect ot get?It is high time that we demanded better living conditions and conducive environment for our children.Many of the vices that I have talked about above result directly and indirectly from poverty in the land.We should stop paying lip service to development but take the bull by the horn and muster the political will to improve our economy.

There have been many lofty and ambitious policies in the past which have not met the purpose for which they were conceived because there is no political will and politicians just believe in business as usual.

I believe in a better Nigeria.I believe that we are going to have emotionally stable children who are going to turn into self confident adult that will take this country out of the woods.I believe in Nigerian Children.

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!