Oyo Monarch Calls for Genuine Love for Less-privileged

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Aseyin of Iseyin, Oyo State, Oba Sefiu Oyebola, has charged Nigerians to show genuine love to children from poor homes to create a just society.

The monarch made the call at the 2024 Children’s  Day programme organized by Women’s Organisation for Resources, Knowledge and Skills (WORKS) at his palace in Iseyin.

He said the absence of communal love for children that are orphaned or from less-privileged homes has led to a disorganised society, where the rich care only for their own children while the poor ones are forced into early marriage, illicit drugs consumption, child trafficking and criminal activities.

The king stated that the time has come for the people to return to the old communal ways of caring for children from extended family, whereby a privileged family member would sponsor sons and daughters of relatives to have good education and job opportunities.

According to him, “We now live in a society where everyone only cares for his or her own children, leaving the children of the less-privileged to suffer the consequences of global and national economic crises; this has led to these indigent children to be forced into early marriage, turned into easy target for child trafficking, join bad gang to take illicit drugs and engage in criminalities.

“Why can’t we take on children of our relatives who have little or nothing to cater for their education and wellbeing? That is what used to be when our uncles who were teachers and earning averagely well would take into custody, the children of their brothers and sisters that have little or nothing to send their children to school, it is what made many billionaires of today.

“If we continue to shut these indigent children out of opportunities, we are creating a horde of enemies for our own children that have every opportunity today; they will envy our children for having it all and hatred will grow. Therefore, let us work towards having a just society.”

The Founder, Women’s Organization for Resources, Knowledge and Skills, Mrs. Titilayomi Ahmadu, who also is an indigene of the town, enjoined the children to see the challenge of coming from poor homes as a leverage to strive more to achieve success in life.

She said the programme was meant to support the Oyo State Government’s agenda to provide succor for children from less-privileged homes, adding that it will also extend to the entire Oke-Ogun region whereby women and children would be given skills and other empowerment opportunities to overcome poverty.

Ahmadu said the organisation also provides free sanitary towels for many female public school students annually around the country to mark the World Menstruation Day, calling on all girl-children to live a hygienic life by using quality sanitary pads to ward off infections.

She urged philanthropists in Oke-Ogun area to join hands with the NGO to lift the standard of families in the zone.

Another indigene of the town who took the children on health education session, Dr. Sinmisola Soyebo, explained the importance of basic hygiene and need for the children to avoid drug abuse.