In search of good models for our children

It is so bad that the role models put up for our youths are people of questionable characters. Fela was a renowned musician who used his music to fight dictatorship in our country but in his personal life did not leave a model for our youths to emulate. So also is Michael Jackson whose death […]

It is so bad that the role models put up for our youths are people of questionable characters. Fela was a renowned musician who used his music to fight dictatorship in our country but in his personal life did not leave a model for our youths to emulate. So also is Michael Jackson whose death was mourned all over the world. It is time we redefine our values and set up as models people whose life is a model of the ideals cherished by our societies.

The Niger Delta youths have proven to us that they are now powerful criminals. The steps taken by the government to neutralise them is a welcome gesture. But all the same it must take steps to address the issues that give rise to the grievances of the people of the region, something that made it easy for the militants to have some sort of local support for their criminal activities. Even though the militants are no match to the federal troops, the possibility of their surrendering is slim. They are virtually on their way to guerrilla warfare with the government. If the waywardness of our youths is not checked it could plunge our country into a much deeper mess than it finds itself today. All one need do is to take a look at what is going on in the north and south of the country, with crisis everywhere.

Jerry Laz, Abuja