Societal values can be defined as
norms and believes that have attachments with culture which is the way of lives
of a particular people or nation. Now, deploying Nigeria as a case study to this article, we
have to dive into Nigerian’s diverse tribal norms and believes that forms
customary law; then selecting from those customary laws that are backed up by
Nigerian constitution makes the laws, norms and believes to emerge as major
societal values that governs the nation Nigeria. For example Child’s education
is a priority in the Western, Eastern and Southern part of Nigeria; but not in
the northern state because by Islamic laws and believes that emerge from their
religion, child’s western education for women i.e. girls is highly prohibited
and a debating issue as well as inhibited by Moslems staunch believe. This is
why the BOKUHARAM terrorist stormed
and invaded the Chibok girls secondary school in 2014 precisely and kidnapped
the teenage girls till date, even after tremendous efforts to rescue them from
the hand of the terrorists proved tough and unsuccessful, though some of them
were partially released after inflicting them with so many pains and
afflictions while the unlucky ones are still detained as their captives in an
unknown territory within the Borders of West African countries,. Now, the
question goes “Why did such thing
escalated in the society?” And what measures can we adopt to curb such
insurgency from re-occurring? The main Issue here is that the BOKUHARAM Terrorist are illiterates that
see themselves as Activists based on Moslem’s norms and believes. The norm and
believe that from Islamic religion/learning that western education to girls is
a corruption to Islamic norms and believes which comprises Islamic learning,
conducts, mode of dressing, worshipping Allah, fighting wars etc.. This is
where their agitation starts as unlearned ones. But you should know that when
one is wrongly inducted and informed in an informal learning process based on religious
background, that person will begin to act in a capacity of knowledge one
receives. Based on this, we have to sometime drop and shun religious practices;
so that it does not interfere with formal way of doing things like formal
education of world class standard as well as formal law as accepted by the
constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
So, you can never operate more than
the information you gathered and that is why one should go for the right
information. Send your kids to the right school where they will receive right highly
accepted world class information as we have in Global learning today as an ICT
world through INTERNET. One need to get information based on the right accepted
societal values; why? The BOKUHARAM
Terrorist who are seeing themselves as Activist proved their ignorant and
illiteracy when the federal government made an offer to them to release the Chibok
girls under their captivity; they turned down the offer from the Federal
government showing and also to prove to people that their intention were not to
extort money or make riches from government with those kids, neither did they
engage in such activity for being hungry but they were acting in ignorant due
to illiteracy of wrong information of fighting blind religious war. Relating
this same issue with the Talibans of Afghanistan in Philippine; these groups
were acting in the same capacity in Philippine as BOKUHARAM in Nigeria terrorizing as well as prohibiting girls formal
education in Afghanistan., so they have similar objectives with BOKUHARAM Terrorist because they both
share the same believe of forbidden female formal education in Philippine. The
Talibans are terrorist in Philippine just as BOKUHARAM are terrorist in Nigeria. Now, there was a 12 years old
girl named Malala in Philippine, whose father was a teacher but because she was
very intelligent at that age, she became an addict writer and began to write to
CNN and BBC against the activities of these Talibans toward child’s education
in Philippines to the extent that she drew the attention of the whole world;
especially United State to this effect. As a human right activists, Malala became
the target of Talibans in Philippine for her activities as a blogger. She
deployed her blog post fighting against the movements of Talibans in Philippine
to stop female education. As I said earlier, she went to the extent of becoming
one of BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) major writer on this issue in
Philippine as well as CNN to the extent that prominent people in United state
like Clinton daughter became aware of the contest and agitation of Talibans to
stop female education in Afghanistan. Now, when the Talibans began to terrorize
the young girl and her family by apprehending her father who was a teacher,
this was after overpowering their government, on the process for the young girl
to escape from their midst, they shot her on the head, before the united states
emissaries sent by Clinton daughter arrives the scene with their private Jet to
rescue her. Today, she is made the world women leader in United states as well
as written several books on human right and women’s right. The US government
sponsored her book with 4.5 million US Dollars during her birthday precisely in
2014.
Now, having established what we
meant by societal values in Nigeria, another question is “What influence does these values holds on its citizens?” That is
what we mean by the strength of societal value. We have cited on FEMALE EDUCATION in Nigeria, which also
can be termed resulting from Gender Inequality practiced in some tribes in
Nigeria. But the strength of the value this imparts in the society is very weak
because most of them are not backed up by the constitution. Another norm and
believe that had been deliberated even in the house of Assembly in Nigeria and
thrown out with punishment measure as stated in Criminal code of Nigeria
constitution Section 214 to 217 in
2014 is GAY MARRIAGE. The regime of
President GOODLUCK JONANTHAN passed
the bill into an existing law that “GAY
MARRIAGE” is a crime in Nigeria, not outside Nigeria. Now, the question
remains “what strength and influence does
it holds 0n its citizen?” Looking at this critically, should not be a point
of discussion in a political arena because it is a habit. Sometimes, not
generally accepted one in the society. People sometimes term to have their privacy (Section 37 of Nigerian
Constitution) and such decisions
should not be disrespected, despised or molested, why? Nigerian
constitution encouraged “right to
privacy or right to private and family life”, they cannot be encouraging
and discouraging privacy at the same time. Encouraging privacy means that you
have the right to social and domesticated affairs in your privacy provided you
are not stealing by trick, Assaulting or committing murder. So, the government
is licensed to protect your interest as regard privacy once you are not
committing crime; not to expose them to the public or abuse them. So, why discussing Marital Issues before political
arena as a major law to govern a nation? I term such decision to be
religious affairs, not formal or official matter but informal and should be
discarded if possible; and should not be made a point of discussion in official
duty. They should be treated as customary laws, because marriage is 90%
customary law, especially in Nigeria where every tribe out of 250 tribes in
Nigeria has their own norms and believes as custom towards marriage. Don’t it
sound surprise to you that in Nigeria there are natives in Hausa land that
still have Gay practices as a tradition? Even before the promulgated law in
2014 which banned it. In amended section
214, 215, 216 and 217; now, how have
this influenced societal value in Nigeria? Is it a negative one or a positive
one? Nigerian government sees it as a negative one because punishment
measures are imposed in subsequent sections which made foreigner and investors
in Nigeria from United states and Europe to travel back to their countries, and
they are still contending that Nigerian government should lift the injection on
Gay practices. So, what is supposed in the society is to respect the law
because nobody is above the law of the constitution that governs Federal
Republic of Nigeria. Per adventure you break the law and the police apprehend you
as well as hand you over to judiciary for prosecution or judgment. If you are
found guilty of the crime or offense; the judiciary will impose on you the
adequate prescribed punishment measure for that offense as approved by the laws
of the constitution of Fedeal Republic of Nigeria.
Still on the strength of the
societal value in Nigeria as case study, is the issue of bribery and corruption;
just as the Holy Bible said in the book of ECCLESIASTES
10:19; that money is the major answer to every affairs of life, including
saving lives; but the abuse of authorities in Nigeria with money is endemic to
the extent that people now has dropped the tradition of hardworking or official
procedure to stealing by trick and IM. People believes so much in using their
money to pass exams, win court case, intimidate authorities, buying positions, Assassinating
opponents etc. contrary, to sections like
criminal code section 364 to 366. And this is what forms the bed rock to
bribery and corruption as a major negative societal value that has greatest
negative influence to its citizens. I think as a nation, we have to come to a point
where we should understand that occupying a position should not be a motive of
public fund embezzlement. People so much believe that they are going to make so
much money in occupying a position, especially in politics and that is what is
liquidating our economy today. To curb such norms and believe that degenerate
to corruption; everyone coming for a political post should undergo an intensive
interview both state and federal in order to scrutinize motive, IQ, experience
as well as positive and negative desire to create a permanent change in the society.
If not, the economy will continue to liquidate until the right people are
appointed to occupy the post.
Finally, by this, we can conclude that
the strength of societal values of a nation lies on the refining and amendment
of laws governing its standard. Long lives Federal Ministry of Information,
Long lives Federal Republic of Nigeria, Long lives nations of the world.
WRITTEN BY:
ONYIA EMEKA HEATH
+2348186388641
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