Skip to content

Calitown

News, Here, Everytime!

  • Home
  • News
    • Cross River News
  • Features
  • Community
  • Inspirational
  • Toggle search form
  • Gov Otu Hails Liyel Imoke At 64, Celebrates Legacy Of Quiet Greatness Cross River News
  • Jarigbe To Imoke: “I Remain Deeply Grateful For Your Guidance … Generosity Of Spirit” Cross River News
  • Boki Legislative Council Removes Leader Cross River News
  • C’River Women Threaten To Go Naked Over Cocoa Estate Privatisation Cross River News
  • Gov Otu Lauds South South Transformation Drive, Declares Region’s Support For Tinubu’s Continuity  Cross River News
  • CR Senator Deeply Saddened By Calabar/Itu Road Mishap Cross River News
  • Wife, Mother-in-law, Sister-in-law, Doctor & Catholic Priest Bag Jail Terms Over Lawyer’s Murder In Akwa Ibom News
  • FG Endorses Leboku In Abuja 2025! Cross River News

The Essence Of Children’s Day In Nigeria And The Realities

Posted on May 27, 2014 By Admin No Comments on The Essence Of Children’s Day In Nigeria And The Realities

By Marty Eteng
By Marty Eteng
It is common knowledge that children are the future of every country. They are the future of a great nation only if given a solid foundation on which a better society can be built. The direction of a nation therefore can be gauged by the importance that nation places on its children and youths.

A child in Nigeria is any youth/citizen between the ages of 0 to 17 years. At that phase, the individual is not responsible for themselves, and therefore have to be taken care of by parents or guardians. In organised countries, there are adequate welfare policies like monthly stipends to aid the child’s spending rights even as adequate healthcare and education are provided for free during those formative years.

In Nigeria kids are faced with many challenges on a daily basis, and according to the CIA Fact Book, 42 percent of Nigeria’s more than 138 million residents are children. Seventy percent of them live below the poverty line with Nigeria also having a very high infant mortality rate of 93.93 per 1000 births. (This compares to 6.3/1000 in the United States.)
The children are also exposed to kidnapping, street trading, lack of qualitative education, malnutrition and a host of other disease.

Meanwhile, the Children’s Day in Nigeria was created in 1964 as inspired by the United Nations children’s efforts. It is marked on the 27th day of May each year and recognised as a school holiday for them. The standard practice is to select children from each school to participate in a match-past to salute the state leader in the stadium in competition with other schools. The schools are selected for first, second and third prices respectively, won at the march past. This renders the celebration education based, thus depriving others that are unable to enrol in schools due to poverty.

Naturally, any society that would be better, then, education is regarded as the basis upon which future generation is built. And for any society to develop there has to be a connection between its present and its future; children serve as a bridge or a transition through which this is accomplished.

The current stalemate in Nigeria should sincerely instigate us to inquire about the rationale behind this year’s observance of the Children’s Day celebration when the world is crying out to our government to bring back the Chibok girls, children abducted since April 14 by the Boko Haram sect, while in a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State where they were writing their West African Senior School Certificate examination. The same insurgent group has been sniffing life out of children as well as adults without security solutions so far, to combat their activities. Such stories are no longer news and those in authority do not seem to be interested in showing sorrow by slowing down on the continuous shindigs portraying Nigeria as a careless minder of her children.

It is therefore the opinion of this article that the 2014 edition of the celebration should have been shelved in solidarity with the adverse prevailing circumstances weighing heavily against Nigerian kids. This would not have diminished whatever achievements the president government is making against being held hostage by the Islamic militants, but rather portray the government as sensitive and caring for citizens it swore an oath to protect.

At the moment, there has been rumoured/threatened boycott of the celebration by the Nigerian Children’s Parliament and the Rivers State. And the most rational thing would’ve been for the federal government to shelve any manner of celebration as a tangible response to the deafening worldwide rallies against the abduction of the Chibok Girls. For anything less will portray this government as numb and indifferent to the plight of the future of Nigeria, a constituency it swore to protect.

Nigeria has in the past made many mistakes where it concerns her citizens, it might not be too late for government to start showing empathy and commitment to things that will make the ordinary Nigerian have a sense of belonging and regale in the thought of being a Nigerian. We are indeed waiting.
To whom much is given, much is also expected.

Marty Eteng is Publisher and Editor,
National Youth Magazine, Nigeria.
Email:martyeteng@yahoo.com, 08039535341.

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram
News Tags:Children's Day, Marty Eteng

Post navigation

Previous Post: Julius Berger Truck Kills Two In Ugep
Next Post: CR 2015: Deputy Governor’s Position, Who’s In!

Related Posts

  • Cross Riverian Listed Among Abuja Bomb Blast Dead News
  • “God Deserves Credit For Gov. Ayade’s First Term, He Will See Him Through His Second Term” – Chief of Staff Breaking News
  • CRSG Announce Vacancies For Forest Rangers Cross River News
  • EXCLUSIVE: Mother Of Murdered Douglas Ojugbo, Speaks Up … Finally Happy! Breaking News
  • CR Monarch Commends NGO’s Initiative, Says It Is Progress! Cross River News
  • House Of Reps Member Splashes Cash, Gifts On Community News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Comments

  • Prevailing Truth on Still On The Matter Of Zoning The Position Of Vice Chancellor Of The University Of Calabar
  • Michael Eyong on The Appointment Of A VC For Unical Should Be Based On Merit, Not Ethnicity & Zoning
  • Samuel on The Appointment Of A VC For Unical Should Be Based On Merit, Not Ethnicity & Zoning
  • #Dr EWORO EMENG on “The People In Govt, Cannot Even Get The Taps To Run In Cross River After Two Years” – CR PDP Chieftain!

ADVERT: Click to Watch!

https://calitown.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/VID-20170928-WA0003.mp4
  • CRISPON Congratulates New Unical VC On Investiture As Matron Cross River News
  • Father Of Triplets Killed In Calabar Cult Clash Cross River News
  • Ayade Weeps As He Signs CR 2018 Budget Into Law Cross River News
  • NPA Board Chair Promises Empowerment Scheme Will Continue Cross River News
  • FG Declares Wednesday, June 12 As Public Holiday Cross River News
  • ‘Pastor’ Arrested For Defrauding More Than 300 In Akwa Ibom News
  • Three Cross Riverians Bag Centenary Awards News
  • NGO Takes Pad-A-Girl Initiative To Sec School Cross River News

CALITOWN
...News, Here, Everytime

Quick Menu

  • Home
  • News
    • Cross River News
  • Features
  • Community
  • Inspirational

Copyright © 2021 calitown
172 Greenwood Avenue , Hull. East Yorkshire. HU6 9NY

Powered by PressBook News WordPress theme