As a fallout of recent societal ills across the country, the task of bringing up a child in a proper way has been put at the doorsteps of parents, schools, religious bodies, and other institutions in whose care the child is placed.

This and other discourse topped agenda at the recent event tagged ‘Feast of Barracuda’, organised by the Hawkins Deck of the National Association of Seadogs, in Egbeda, Lagos State.

The ceremony, which attracted parents and children from within and outside the state, had as theme: Parenting and protection of the child.

Speaking on the theme, the guest lecturer at the event, Mr Arinze Odiari, Esq, said child care should not be the sole responsibility of parents.

He added that the moment a child is put under the care of any other institution such as the school, religious body or other institutions, the process of imbuing positive morals on the child continues.

Odiari stressed that recent trends of violent crimes such as ritual killings, sexual assaults, murder, and suicides, have made it imperative for parents, schools, and religious organisations to instil positive values on the child to stem the negative development.

Citing the Lagos State Child Rights Act, for instance, Odiari said children have the right to Life, survival, and balanced development; a name and registration at birth; dignity and respect; privacy, family life, and parental care, protection, and maintenance.

Stating section 2 of the Lagos State Child Rights Act, Odiari stressed, “A child to be given protection and care necessary for his well‐being. A child shall be given such protection and care as is necessary for the well‐being of the child, taking into account the rights and duties of the child’s parents, legal guardians, or other individuals, institutions, services, agencies, organisations, or bodies legally responsible for the child.

“Every person, institution, service, agency, organization, and body responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform to the standards established by the appropriate authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, welfare, number, and suitability of their staff and competent supervision.”

“There is nothing about child’s care left to the biological parents alone. For those who own schools, religious bodies such as churches and mosques, immediately a child is kept in your custody he/she becomes your responsibility.”

Also speaking, the co-guest lecturer at the event, Mrs Magdalene Mrakpor, said technological advancements have made the task of bringing up a child more challenging.

She tasked parents to be very close to their children to monitor what they do with their mobile phones while also ensuring that the ethos of respect for elders is properly projected.

She said, “It has become imperative for parents to always engage their children in discussions and let them differentiate between what is good and bad. For instance, do not expose your girl child to indecent dressing such as waring bum shuts in public places or exposing their bodies. Train them the right way to grow. Catch them young and be their friends.”

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Earlier, while declaring the event open, the National President of NAS (NAS Cap’n), Mr Abiola Owoaje, said the theme of this year’s ceremony was to draw attention to the increasing cases of violence against children and find a way of curbing them.

Also speaking, the host Hawkins Deck Cap’n, Mr Hassan Aidorolo, said the annual Feast of Barracuda is to ensure family bonding.

“Thriving on the vast assemblage of human and material resources at our disposal which is seldom tapped, a day is set aside annually for the Feast of Barracuda to reaffirm our faith in the confraternity and the bonding of the family. We believe in the bonding of our families because the family comes first and so it is.

“Pyrates Confraternity has and will continue to carry out humanitarian services that are aimed at touching the lives of the downtrodden. The improvement of societal standards is encapsulated in our operational watchwords which are the four compass points: Against Moribund Convention; Against Ethnicity; For Humanistic Ideals; For Comradeship and Chivalry,” he said.