This topic seems to be overused and thus boring. However, since man is prone to forgetfulness and the fact that acts of indiscipline among the youth still persists, the topic will continue to be honoured with a place of pride, if only we mean to have mother Ghana’s future at heart.
As it is said, and it is not a farcical truism, that the youth are our future manpower resources. That is, they are the people who will take up national positions in future. Simply put, the youth are the country’s future leaders.
Before they can successfully take up these national responsibilities, they must necessarily acquire some characteristics bordering on good behavior in all aspects of their lives.
Against this background, it would not be something bordering on yellow journalism to say that considering the general reprehensible behaviours of today’s youth, the future of our dear country is bleak, indeed. We don’t need the ancient Prophets and saints to come and tell us this. The gloomy signs are crystal clear for all to see.
EDUCATION
Education is, no doubt, the main index of progress and prosperity of any country. In Ghana, successive governments have been straining every sinew in them to educate the youth to enable them to fit into national positions in future.
Ironically, however, some of our school children have decided to put away their text books in favour of their own type of weird education.
They have taken to education in occult practices, indecent dressing, sexual promiscuity, drugs, etc.
The effect of all these is anybody’s guess. Just imagine what would happen, when a student now dealing in occult practices becomes a politician – his or her political rivals would smell pepper from the dark world!
Should he/she become the country’s President or take any national leadership position, his/her attention would be divided between national duties and occult practices. The latter would also claim part of national resources, including precious lives, no doubt. For, just as you cannot prepare an omelet without breaking an egg, you cannot successfully practice occultism, without pouring down human blood, one of the known characteristic features of powers of darkness, it is alleged.
Importantly, and worse of all, a country in the hands of faithful agents of Lucifer can NEVER progress since it cannot receive any type of celestial blessings. This is because, acts of violence, callousness, insensitivity and inconsideration form the ruled and general incompetence would be the main features of their reign, something God, the quintessence of Goodness, abhors.
Education brings good manners and behavior, but some of the present crops of our youth in and out of school think otherwise. To them, education is civilization, which in turn, leads to strange and indecent dressing, sexual promiscuity, disobedience to authority, haughtiness and other acts of indiscipline.
INDECENT DRESSING
An elderly woman wrote an article in a newspaper some time ago, commenting on indecent dressing of most of our girls of today: “It is disgusting how these girls continue to cheapen womanhood through their dressing. Some female parts, specifically, breasts, thighs etc, are considered ‘holy’ and decent women will do all that they can to cover them.
“Regrettably enough, these are the very parts which some of our girls go to great lengths to expose. During our time, we wore clothes sufficient enough to cover these parts and only made them available to our husbands in the privacy of our bedrooms. Women were, thus respected by men. That was why rape and defilement cases were not known during our time.
“In fact, the present high rate of rape and defilement is an indication that men no longer respect women, due to how our girls of today cheapen themselves with these dresses and other immoral acts.
The million dollar question is: how are these girls going to train their children? The effects of such behaviours by our girls are devastating and impact negatively on the very young ones in their formative years, who may think that what their older sisters are doing is right and emulate them as they grow up.
The current sexual promiscuity among the youth can be attributed to the provocative manner in which the girls dress. Take, for instance, the tight fitting trousers some of the girls put on which make their voluminous back-side stand out like a mountain, can put the heat in some men.
The seriousness of these inviting dressing was expressed by a man in a news item which appeared in The Pioneer of Friday, September 23, 2005, as my “morge” revealed. He said, the Police should charge these girls of SEXUAL HARRASMENT (emphasis mine) against men, since their type of dressing puts men in the most distressing situation.
He was not far from right, for women by nature, have got some mysterious magnetic charm over men. Such attraction becomes superfluous and thus destructive morally, when it is re-enforced with provocative dressings.
DRUG ABUSE
The youth are also destroying themselves with drugs. How are they going to manage Ghana in future? Our medical scientists tell us drugs such as cocaine, marijuana etc, weaken the memory and the senses.
Alcohol, too, makes a person who takes it behave like a clown in a circus. Do we want such people to be captains of the ship of State in future? Certainly no!
The DAILY GRAPHIC issue of Wednesday, September 7, 2005, according to my morge, came out with a disturbing news item, indicating that “marijuana use is increasingly being diversified among the youth, being used for soups, stew and tea.
“Others burn it in an enclosed environment and inhale the smoke, while others brew marijuana with local gin popularly known as Akpeteshie.”
Quite a horrible situation on our hand, isn’t it?
MUSIC
Music has been known to have a strong effect on the mind. Lyrics of some music have electrifying effect on the soul. It is, even alleged that snakes can be attracted to the source of some melodious music!
Biblically, it was young David’s songs that healed the ailing King Saul (1 Samuel 16:23). Yes, such is the effect of songs. A song with profane lyrics can, therefore, have devastating effect on societal morals. But this is exactly what some eyesore dances derogatively tagged ‘atopa’ dancing, sometimes even shadow sexing!
All these are shown on our TV screens. Currently, however, the authorities are taking stringent measures against the mess and they must be highly commended.
Some years back, news broke out that some students had been deep in the practice of occultism. The authorities, therefore, took strict measures to arrest the situation. They must sustain it to rid our campuses of these satanic practices, for the country has no future with demons.
Parents must realize that, man is not permanent in this world.
Someday, we will succumb to the cold burial mat and leave our children behind. Whether they will be successful in future, able to live without being a tail to anybody’s kite, depends on the type of upbringing we give them today.
On sexual promiscuity, I think a lot has been done and continues to be done in public education on the predator, HIV/AIDS. The educational tempo must be stepped up. The youth must be made to realize that ROSES HAVE THORNS. Similarly, liver is a delicacy, but it has bitter bile attached to it and so is honey, which has bees to worry about by those who go after the honey in the bush. Just a brief sexual gratification may land you in perpetual health problem.
Avoid “by-heart” sex, for God did not mean sex to be “by-heart”. He meant it for procreation to replenish the earth” (Generis 1:28).
The Drug guys are doing commendable job in hotly pursuing drug couriers, wee growers and smokers. School authorities should also be alert to bring to book students who prefer drugs to their books.
The Musicians Association of Ghana (MUSIGA) must be courageous enough to purge itself and sanction singers who come out with lyrics of filth and “atopa” dancers.
CHURCHES AND TRADITIONAL RULERS
Talking about moral indiscipline among the youth without touching churches and traditional rulers may be an exercise in futility. Our churches should organize periodic outreach programmes under which pastors will move into schools to preach against acts of indiscipline such as those discussed above. This apart, they should devote a little bit of their Sunday sermons to admonish the youth.
Since every town and village in the country have traditional heads, chiefs and their elders are in good position to advise the youth in their areas of jurisdiction. They should set aside some special days for the purpose.
Now, to the youth. You are like young royals being trained and prepared to occupy stools and skins in future. As future Kings and Queens, you are expected to live above reproach in order to have a successful and glorious rule, when your turn comes, a reign, which posterity would feel proud to refer to historically.
The whole Ghana looks up to you for a better future Ghana. There is a local proverb saying that, “Opanin, yen mmo no wo tonsuom” to wit, “A responsible elderly person is not created at a blacksmiths workshop”.
You have to work hard for it through good character.
Leave all “ahuhubra” (careless and unproductive lifestyles) behind and prepare yourselves to take over from where the old ones will leave off either through retirement or death.
Remember, the only preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today.
This is re-enforced by the saying that “Obra ne nia, w’ara w’abo” (Life is what you make it).
Mother Ghana needs your support. Put up good behavior and this will overflow to make her prosperous to make every Kofi, Kwadwo and Ama willing to stay here, work in peace and finally, bow out of existence in dignity.
PS: – The Author has a number of poetic lyrics which need to be composed into melodious and electrifying songs. Interested song composers in Accra should contact the Editor on 0208167110 for the necessary arrangements.
By Godfried K. Arhin-Kumi
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The post Periscope: (Advocate against cheating and of peaceful co-existence) The Youth and the Future of Ghana appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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