Wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo has stressed the need for parents, guardians and entire society to rise against increasing moral decay and abandonment of basic societal norms.
Soludo’s wife gave the charge on Thursday while reacting to death of a 3-day old baby boy rescued from a pit toilet in Otuocha, Anambra East, three days after his 20-year-old mother delivered and dumped him inside the pit.
The baby who was rescued and rushed to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, by Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Ify Obinabo died while receiving medical attention.
Mrs Soludo described the act as inhumane and distraughting, saying the news of the death came to her as a rude shock, having prayed for his full recovery while at the hospital.
She said, “As a mother, I feel the pains of having to deal with such news, which brings shock and deep discomfort.
“I was in prayers for full recovery of the baby boy immediately it was confirmed that he had been taken to hospital and was looking forward to visiting him, until the sudden news of his passing away came.
“This ugly incident, along with so many others of such, tell an unacceptable story of the present society, and how morality has been eroded by growing, unmitigated decadence.”
While blaming some parents and guardians who have abandoned their primary responsibility to home and proper child upbringing, the governor’s wife regretted that moral deterioration had thrived following failure of those entrusted with such sensitive task.
“The whole society must rise up immediately and take decisive actions if the spate of current moral decline will be cut down, while individuals and institutions entrusted with job of societal sanity have to show renewed zeal and commitment to the occupation.
“Once again, I call on parents to teach their children more about culture, traditions, fear of God, and common values like sanctity of life, value of patience, self control, hard work, perseverance, among others,” she stressed.