SIR: Four years back, there was news of the sudden demise of the son, a year old, of popular Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Daniel Oyebanjo, D’Banj. The innocent boy was drowned in the artiste’s home while the artiste was away for a musical award in Los Angeles, United States.
This week, another tragic news of the death of the son of David Adeleke, widely known as ‘Davido’ was announced. Davido’s little boy was also reported to have died in the swimming pool in his loving dad’s house. The three-year old boy was said to have been under water for a very long time before his body was spotted. A most tragic incident!
Of course, swimming pools in our homes are beautiful, luxurious and beneficial. They are a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise. They alleviate stress; improve posture and flexibility; provide therapy for some injuries. But the question is: do we, in Nigeria, have time to pay attention to and guard against the dangers that accompany this facility?
There is nothing bad in having recreation facilities in our homes, but are we ready to pay attention to those precautions, most especially in homes where babies and toddlers live? Recreation facilities are useless and not beneficial in a home where precautions are neglected. In a home with at least a child or toddler which isn’t ready to embrace the measures to prevent something dangerous from happening, I don’t think the home deserves the facility. These innocent children need us more than we need them. It’s terrible to wake up to the news of the deaths that are avoidable. It’s disastrous!
Yes, I understand why many put their infants in care of nannies, but can these people take care of our children like we normally do take care of them? Thinking of the way some housemaids treat their masters and their masters’ infants, I don’t think it’s most appropriate to leave these children in total care of some of these carers. Sometime ago, there was this news of a housemaid alleged to have poisoned her master. Housemaids had facilitated the kidnaps of families. Many of them conspire with outsiders to rob their masters.
Isn’t it the time to retrace our steps and decide to do better for our little children? I believe these domestic tragedies are enough wakeup call on all to take our responsibilities as parents more seriously. Let’s together save these guiltless infants.
•Ademola Babalola,
Ibadan, Oyo State