A Non-Governmental organization Save the Boys Initiative in collaboration with Challenged Parenthood Initiative, (CPI) has cried out over the spate of social vices perpetuated by young boys across the Country.
The Executive Director, Save the Boys Initiative, Ebuka Ede disclosed this on Friday during a sensitization programme held at Army Day Secondary School Lokoja, Government Science Secondary School Lokoja and Muslim Community Secondary School.
Ede said the mission of the organization is to empower boys across the Country with positive mindset and productive life.
According to him, they are worried by the negative trend ravaging the country today, stressing that, about 80 percent of prison inmates are young Boys.
He lamented that, the educational standard of boys is dropping gradually adding that, if something urgent is not done, things will continue to fall apart and the society will be at risk.
While noting that the programme is simultaneously going on across 15 States, Ede said if boys fails to make the right choices in the early Stage, things will continue to go wrong in the society.
Continuing, Ede said, ” If you don’t sow the right seed at the early stage, you will fail. It is important to for all of us to join our hands to correct this abnormalities. Dont eat your tomorrow today as a young Man. A recent surgery revealed that, 62 percent out of School People are Boys. It is really alarming and calls for worries. It is time to change our society and make the Boy Child stand as the future of our great Country Nigeria”.
Ede, however, charged the Boys to take responsibility for their lives, academic and be focused in their dream and be mindful of who they keep as friends.
He warned them to shun all forms of social vices such as examination malpractice, cultism, robbery and many more.
In her remarks, the Executive Director Challenge Parenthood Initiative, Eunice Abimbola Agbogun said the boy child have unconsciously be ignored in the society for several years with much emphasis on Girls.
She said alot of negative things have been kept by the boys for several years over fears that they won’t be called out to be weak adding that, as the Girl Child is abuse, the Boy Child is also being abused.
Agbogun further urged the Students to speak out when ever they are being abuse in the Society.
“We are tired of what we are seeing in our society. Report to your Parent, Teachers and Guardian when ever you are being abuse. We are aware that in some Schools, some Boys are practicing Gay.
” We have discovered the missing link. No doubt the Men have high percentage of perpetuating violence, but the Boys also suffers same. That is why we are embarking on this campaign. We want you all to be the Man of your dream” she stressed.
Agbogun averred that the organization is ready to fight for any Boy whose right is abused in any part of the State.
A seasoned Journalist with Grace FM Lokoja, Katherine Odok told the Students to zero their minds that School is a scam.
According to her, it is time to reform the mind set of the Boy Child and put up measures to sustained their future for a better society of our dream.
Barrister Williams Obaedo on his part called on Government to create to commission that will address issues affecting the Boy Child in the Country.
According to him, the signing of the VAPP law was highly commended in Kogi State, stressing that, their is need for the Government to look critically on other issues affecting the Boy Child to guarantee peace in the society.