society
WITH the incessant increase in ritual killings across the country, some youths in Lagos State on Friday gave an insight on how much pressure contributed to the urge for acquisition of wealth among them.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, some young men said the get-rich-quick syndrome affected them mentally.
Adrian Lawrence, a 23-year old undergraduate, told NAN that there had always been pressure on youths from generation to generation.
“The pressure is real, the need for comparison; I personally keep friends that share the same value as I do; this way, we help each other, that’s how I protect myself mentally, the struggle is real.
“I think for each generation they have one peculiarity that keeps them under pressure; for instance I believed in some generation that said getting scholarship to study abroad was the in thing, that’s progressive, but ours is not.
“With our generation, the craze for luxury and living a flamboyant lifestyle is the pressure; now unlike the olden days, everybody is in everybody’s business thanks to social media, so really It’s crazy,’’ he said.
Olatoun Ajibola, a 27 years old graduate, told NAN that the society had made it difficult, because of the respect accorded to rich people in the society.
“We worship money a lot, our society only respects those who are rich even when the source of their wealth is questionable.
“When we, as young impressionable youths, can see how that plays out, he or she will do anything possible to get respect,’’ he said.
NAN reports that on Feb. 4, four Nigerian men were charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman in a suspected ritual killing case.
The men, who are aged between 18 to 20 years, were arrested on Jan. 29, for allegedly killing Sofiat Kehinde and burning her head for money ritual purposes at Oke Aregba area of Abeokuta, Ogun.
According to reports, the deceased was dating one of the killers. She was lured by her boyfriend, Soliu Majekodunmi, to his room where she was overpowered and killed.
Some parents also attributed the rise in the quest for youths to get rich quick to the high rate of poverty which has eaten deep into the society.
Mrs Crystal Ejimbowu, also said the current economic state of the country made it difficult for parents to perform their parental roles.
“In my days, going home with someone’s pen will earn you a lot of punishment, but these days you see parents not questioning their children when they bring stuffs that you can’t afford home.
“Some children even buy cars and take them home, parents will open their mouths to say ‘my pickin no be thief, na yahooboy’ (my child is not a thief he is a fraudster).
“Poverty has made parents turned to slaves, their children at age 20 are now breadwinners, it’s sad,’’ she said.
Mr Salau Akinwunmi, shared the same view; he urged parents to focus on raising children with the right morals for a better society.
“A better society starts from the family, we need to do more as parents, money is not the most thing, integrity is so underrated these days.
“Peer pressure is not new, but in spite of this, some children have risen above it; we need to be intentional and prayerful as parents,’’ he said. (NAN)
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