Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria in 2013, expressed concerns and total displeasure over children and youths of this generation who have lost their moral values and respect. He stated that our priorities have been misplaced and that parents no longer discipline their children but rather fight the school and elders that try to discipline them. To remedy this, he started the National Christian Campaign on Social Transformation. That was a decade ago. It is so sad that respect and morals are yet to be redeemed, and this decadence gets worsened in geometric progression as days go by.
Respect simply means giving due regard for someone. Respect for elders means demonstrating honor and value towards them,
abiding in their principles, and giving them regard. In African culture, respect is a high commodity. It is observed by the manner one speaks, greets, makes responses, asks questions, shares opinions, reacts to things, expresses displeasure, refers to someone, and so on. Respect is all – encompassing and specific to every culture.
Respect for elders used to be the cardinal principle of society. It is common knowledge that in every society, elders are the custodians of manners, morality, truth, sincerity, guidance and good examples and the young are expected to respectfully obey, follow and learn the way of life through them.
Sadly, children and youths nowadays are so used to contempt for authority, and respect has been reduced to the lowest ebb. They look an elder straight in the eyes and argue or question their authority. They point an elder with their index finger as they speak to them disrespectfully. They sit while elders stand in a gathering, bus station, or any public place. They receive things from elder with their left hand. They see an elder carrying a heavy load and overlook. They visit a house and watch their elders clean, mop, wash plates, wash cars, and so on. They sit down when they receive instructions from elders. They shake their heads and use annoying body gestures when they’re corrected. They over sleep while their elders wake up before them. They raise their voices at their elders and call it confidence. They breach home rules and regulations. They feel unnecessarily entitled and lack the basic sense of communication. They sit in the living room, watching television while their parents discuss important matters with visitors. They call their elders by their names or their children names. They dress indecently and disrespectfully to their culture. There are so many instances on this that are prevalent in our society today.
As far as Africa is concerned, respect stays forever and must pass from generation to generation, despite the effort of this generation to adulterate it. A society without the guide of elders is an unhealthy society!
It is believed in Africa that disrespect to elders is an unpronounced and irrevocable curse to any child who’s found guilty. Some acts that were seen as taboo and gross disrespect are the new normal in today’s children and youths. Children are now terrorists. They act before they think or listen. Their minds and sense of reasoning have been beclouded by smart phones, computers, games, and other electronic devices which they give more time, value and respect than their elders. Discipline has been seriously sacrificed on the altar of wokeness. Reward is placed before labour, and the outcome is lazy, unproductive, and anarchist youths.
Respect in the context of this article is not limited to elders alone. It entails every superior or senior at home, place of work, place of worship, and in the general public. Africans respect both the living and the dead, their animals, culture, belief, arts and artefacts, and even the sculptural structures. Many things have gone wrong since the task of grooming a child becomes the sole responsibility of the parents, no longer everyone in the community or society. We all need to be involved, stand against spoilt and bad behaviour in children, and get things fixed for the better.
BIBLE VERSE
Leviticus 19:32
You shall stand up before the grey head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord
PROVERB
Those who respect the elderly pave their own road toward success- African proverb
RIDDLE
When I don’t do my job, people respect me. But the moment I do my job, I’m fired immediately. What am I?
Amara Ann Unachukwu
