For the love of children

Naturally parents love their children and make sacrifices for them. In other words all those things they have not achieved they would want their children to achieve. This however should not be through all means including siphoning public funds put in the care of the parents just so that their children ‘will never suffer’. This […]

Naturally parents love their children and make sacrifices for them. In other words all those things they have not achieved they would want their children to achieve.
This however should not be through all means including siphoning public funds put in the care of the parents just so that their children ‘will never suffer’. This indeed is taking it far and akin to playing God, forgetting everybody found himself being created  without being consulted and therefore has no hand on how long he will live and whether he will be rich or poor.
Nevertheless they try as much as possible to accumulate wealth beyond imagination for their children and some say  even their great-great children.
But God in His ways would still make what He has designed for them.
Since the arms scandal that came up, one particular case that keeps nagging at my mind is the one of the former Chief of  Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, who when he was Chief of Air Staff bought houses for his three son worth N970 million.
The house for the last son, 28-year-old Kam was for N320 million.
Badeh may not be alone in such earnest quest to see that his children live in high pedestal even if he uses public funds. In fact the more public funds at their disposal the better so that they will spend it without qualms because they have not worked for it.
Many people that lived in poverty or even orphaned and suffered the challenge of being brought up, if  in position of power do all they can to give their children ostentatious lifestyle that you would be shocked if you hear about their early life.
Some take it  to the extent that Nigeria is no longer good enough for their children, they are relocated  abroad to live there permanently, but at the expense of the  common man. The common man is deprived and cheated to fund the expensive lifestyles of the children, so that the children would become ‘big people’ and lord it over the common man.
But since man proposes and God disposes, it doesn’t always work out that way, which is a comfort to the common man or those that don’t want to steal public fund even if they are in a position to do so.
Recently we were having a discussion when one man gave an example of a man that has so much money that ‘his great-grandchildren’ would never be poor.
But another man gave an example of an extremely reach man who died  few years ago, but the children now are living in poverty so to speak, since they can ask you to give them N200.00.
This is a lesson for those that tempt providence, though as usual some would ask how did they allow poverty to visit them in spite of all the houses and other things left by their father.
It shows that you can never make a man to be rich if God has not made him. So all the grand design by the parents may not be realised, especially using ‘cursed’ or ‘blood’ money meant for the public use.
Also some parents tend to undermine other people’s children, be it in a polygamous family or extended family setting. They believe that their children must be better than other children when they grow up and they give them all the opportunity and make the children know of what it expected of them. They are never taught to be humble.
But God may have other plans and those children that were undermined would become more successful later in life.
The point is parents should allow their children to be trained and be able to earn a living and take care of themselves and even other people, not just think that while you have lived your own life, you have lived the life of your child as well, so he doesn’t need to work because you have made all the money he would need in his lifetime and beyond.
In one such family, because of this over pampering the sons have become layabouts, as they don’t do any work. They sleep late and go from one place to another aimlessly, with no vision or ideas on how to do anything productive.
But the children of their parents’ domestic servants have become successful and hold public office. And these rich kids, their former masters go to them for contract they can sell and have money. At times they become a nuisance asking for all kinds of favours.
The love of children may as well turn out to be the undoing of parents, getting into trouble by siphoning public funds for them or raising children that would not become responsible.
What sort of love is that, one may ask.