MENACE OF STREET URCHINS

The alarming rate at which “street urchins” popularly called in South West “Agbero or Area Boys”, call for a great concern among Nigerians.
Initially, they were serving a myriad of good purposes to their various communities. They played frontline roles in carrying out community’s projects, which involve much physical energy and sometimes gave pieces of advice to the elders for peaceful co-existence among the neighborhood.

These people have served as sources of pride to their various communities, especially when they are educated. Thus, they pioneered several initiatives that brought developments to their communities.

However, in these recent times, these same people have constituted social miscreants in our society, especially in Lagos metropolis. These Miscreants, engage from time to time, in all manners of shady deals, anti-social and criminal acts. Among which are; forceful collection of money and other valuables from commercial drivers, conductors and passengers alike. Also, they at several occasions pick up quarrels with any driver, who refuses to give them money.

In addition acts violence in their neighbourhood, robbery,vandalization of public and residential property, smoking, drug abuse, rapping, drinking of alcohol to mention but few, are eminent among them. For instance, these deviants have created a meeting point for themselves within the community, where they perpetrate their nefarious activities. At night, they visit hotels and beer parlours, where they squander the earlier extorted money during the wee hours of the day on alcohol and prostitutes.
Several factors responsible for their emergence included; bad governance, poor parental upbringing, unemployment, insecurity, absence of motivations and incentives.

Recently, a vox-pop conducted in Lagos, revealed that majority of these people are lured into streets due to financial constraint. Arguably as a result of poverty, poor economy and unemployment, that are growing daily at a geometric rate.
Multi-national companies and foreign investors are no longer investing in Nigeria, owing to the insecurity atmosphere created by these boys.

Thus, it has like never before, portrayed the government as inept and unable, to perform the basic constitutional responsibility of maintaining law sand order.

There is nonetheless in our own opinion, an urgent need for government to be responsible to its electorates, even those at the grass root. She should endeavor to create jobs opportunities.
Motivations and incentives inform of scholarship awards, bursary award, cash awards to encourage excellent performances for the indigents in the society, mostly among the youths.

Above all, we also expect the government to explore all means possible, to boost the country’s economy, in order to raise the standard of living of her citizenry.
Thereby, helping parents to cater for their children before getting to adulthood.