Moral decadence bane of the society – Pharm. Hajia Bankole

By Ifeanyi Eduzor
Wife of Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Pharm. Hajia Modupeola Bankole has identified poor parenting as the major cause of moral decadence in the society.
She told newstap.com in an interview that economic hardship has led many parents to pay little attention to their children up bringing thereby making them develop many bad characters that are not in consonant with societal values.
“The causes of moral decadence in our society are numerous and lack of proper parenting is the major one. Right now, poor economic situation has made parents stay away from home for longer period and not be able to look back to check on their children coupled with societal neglect among other factors are the major reasons.
“Ignorance, poverty and lack of moral values also play a major role in contributing to the high moral decadence prevalent in Nigerian societies at large and mostly among the youths”,she further exolain

While granting our correspondent an interview, Hajia Bankole who has been invited as the distinguished guest of honour at the Adelaja Adenuga Foundation End of the Year One Day Program schedule to hold at the Abigi Town hall, Ijebu waterside on Wednesday 28th December, 2022 added that: “the consequences of moral decadence has led to high rate of crime and criminality such as cultism, drug abuse, thuggery, indecent dressing, prostitution, abortion, rape, lack of self-discipline, violence and corruption..
“Moral decadence has lowered standards of moral behavior and creates new but lower criteria for ethics and justice. When we were much younger, you can not see a child or even a youth holding cigarette publicly but the reverse is the case now.
“Neigbours then can checkmate the kids of their neigbours which is no longer practiced now. It is now everyone for himself. Putting it simply, people are no longer required to act morally or ethically. Society no longer expects its members to preserve their commitment to the very basic moral norms.’’

The management team of the Adelaja Adenuga Foundation (AAF), a community based non governmental organization saddled with numerous community development programmes and projects have concluded arrangements and plans to stretch out arms of support to indigenous people of Abigi and environs with medical tests such as eye tests, vision screening, presentation of free medical glasses, free drugs on malaria, high blood pressure, cough and so on and end of the year gifts of food materials to the elderly in their hundreds.

As part of the program, the teeming populace of Ijebu waterside would also be sensitized during the one day End of the Year community empowerment program on the need to promote the cultural heritage of the Ijebu Waterside and ijebu generally, foster and promote unity, good relationship among the community members; use the gathering to campaign against drug misuse, drug abuse, cultism, indecent dressing and all forms of social vices among secondary school students and youths at the community level; encourage peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding and harmonious living together at the community level, all in an effort to empower the youths and community members so as to make them responsible community members.
On the consequences of immoral behavior, Hajia Bankole emphasised that Immorality causes bad influence on other members of the society. She frowned at factors like good name not meaningful to society members unlike when she was younger that the word; remember the son/daughter of whom you are’’ has weight. She felt that we need to go back to the basics and retrace our steps and uphold our moral values, then there is bound to be a drastic change. To her, this will curb crime and criminality to the lowest ebb since those vices affect the society relationally like untimely death, abortion, school drop out and depression amongst others.
To Hajia Bankole, we a have sincere roles to play to have a changed society.
“Parents, schools, religious bodies, the society at large all have a role to play to change the situation because It is everybodies problem. I appreciate Yoruba customs of using proverbs such as “Ise ni Ogun ise” meaning that work is the antidote for poverty, that hard and smart work brings success which is the truth. Also “toju iwa re ore mi,” meaning maintain your character my friend.
“Some youth of the present day under 20 years want to use expensive cars and live in opulence without working for it while we believe that a good name is better than riches but unfortunately, many of our youths don’t know the meaning of all these moral values”, she said.
The Ogun State Police Commissioner’s wife was full of appreciation to the management of the Adelaja Adenuga Foundation for promoting art and culture which is almost fading off stressing that other non governmental organization need to follow suit and not to leave the work only to NGOs and the government since the government can not do all alone.
On the debate in Ijebu, she felt that if some other localities can embrace this, the fading away norms, values and culture of the people would bounce back and be revived.
On how we can redeem our culture, she was of the view that we need to re-orientate our youths mostly positing that parents and elders in every community have sincere roles to play in this regard.
“It is the responsibility of the parents to teach their children the ways and the words of God they believe in. It is very obvious that we have lost quiet a lot of our moral values over time but with seriousness and determination, we can start to regain them back gradually.
“All stakeholders from homes, churches, mosques and social gatherings can start doing something about it to change the mind set of the children and the youths. And with time, result is bound to be achieved.