SCHOOLS REOPENING: MSSN SUGGESTS PHASE RE-OPENING AS WAY FORWARD

SCHOOLS REOPENING: MSSN SUGGESTS PHASE RE-OPENING AS WAY FORWARD

      Written by Baasitah Davies

The Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit has urged the state government to reopen schools in phases.

This recommendation was made known in a press release signed by the Amir of the society, Mallam Nurudeen Yousuph.

The Society recommends two strategies for alternate system for Primary and Secondary Students to enable social distancing among students.

The first strategy suggests that students in junior and senior class one attend classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, junior and senior class Two attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while Junior and senior class Three attend school on Fridays.

The second strategy suggests  that junior classes 1-3 attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, Senior classes attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays , while Fridays should be used for online classes to cover the syllabus missed in those days students were not in school.

The government was also urged to provide personal protective materials like hand sanitizer, soap, face mask and running water for both private and public schools,while ensuring that all arrangements are in  adherenCe to the NCDC covid -19 preventive measures.

The Society also appeals  to the Lagos State government to allow students in the state-owned higher institutions,whose parents are having financial difficulties in paying their school fees as a result of difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, to register and sit  for examinations in their various institutions while giving them time till the next semester to make payment.

The association further commended the Lagos State government and the ministry of health for their efforts in handling the pandemic in the state, while imploring all residents of the state to take responsibility by adhering to all COVID -19 protocols.

HOW TO IMPACT VALUES IN TEENAGERS (part 2)

Hello there!         

It’s so good to have you on this Tuesday with Teenbaseetoh.

Just as I promised last week, today I will be sharing tips on how to instill values in Teenagers. But before we dive into that, did you take time to write down your core value?  Have you also asked yourself if you would be proud to have your child (ren) pick up those values?  If you haven’t, it’s not too late to do so.

Angela Duckworth, an American academic, psychologist and popular science author, in one of her articles, says that  ‘‘as young people grow up, they develop a sense of right and wrong and what is fair and just, from watching the world around them and the actions of the people they love and trust. This helps them to make wise choices and encourages them to contribute to making the world around them a better place”.

 

Be the Model  

This is one simple way of instilling values on teenagers. You simply act the role you want them to play. If you want your teens to be truthful, hardworking, then you should be seen displaying such traits. You shouldn’t be caught lying or lazing around while expecting others to get your chores done for you.

Don’t be the ‘‘do as I say not as I do” model. Children and Teenagers are best at imitating act then listening to commands or instruction.

 

Praise them

While growing up, there was this Aunt of mine I lived with, whenever I filled up all the water reservoir (drum) with water for our domestic use, she would praise me with words and that always made me happy, the next day I would go and an extra mile by filling all the buckets and bowls in the house with water. 

This is simple, whenever you catch your teenagers doing something good, praise them, it will simply make them happy and also make them do more.  Most of us are so bad that we find it difficult to commend our children whenever they do something good, but we are always so quick to reprimand them when they go wrong.

 

Engage them

Engage your teens in the good acts you do. When you go to your place of worship, go with them. When you are doing the chores at home, make them do some too. When you are having the community sanitation, let them join in and do something. This way, you are teaching them those values without having to spell it out to them. With these they would learn to take up those responsibilities even in your absence.

 

Take advantage of situations /ask them questions

Don’t always do the talking, give teens the opportunity to think and analyze situations by themselves. As teenagers, their ability to know what is right from what is wrong is more developed compared to when they were kids.  

Let’s say you go on an outing with them and you see another teenager yelling at an elderly person, take advantage of that situation to ask them their view about that scenario. Their reply will give you feedback of their sense of value and morality.

 

In order not to bore you, I will like to stop here today. I promise to share more tips on how to instill values in teenagers next week.

 Kindly share ways you feel values could be instilled in Teenagers in the comment section. Until next week Tuesday, Be good and stay safe.

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Impact Values On Teenagers

Hello there!

It’s another beautiful Tuesday with Teenbaseetoh. Today we are going to be taking a look at HOW TO IMPACT VALUES ON TEENAGERS. (  PART 1)

 

The kind of society we want tomorrow will be determined by the kind of teenagers we are breeding today. Teenagers are the next generation of leaders for the society; it is therefore incumbent on us all as teachers, parents, families, neighbors and adults in general to make it a deliberate and conscious efforts as to how we raise the teens of today.

Wikipedia defines a teenager or a teen as a person who falls within the ages of 13 to 19 years old. The word ‘teenager’ is also often associated with adolescence.

What are values? I would like to share a simple comprehensive meaning of values I found on a blog post. It states that values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They help us to determine what is important to us. Values describe the personal qualities we choose to embody to guide our actions; the sort of person we want to be; the manner in which we treat ourselves and others, and our interaction with the world around us. They provide the general guidelines for conduct.

Having stated what values are, so where exactly do these values come from?  We pick up values from our religious and cultural believes, major parts our values are picked up from our parents and friends, and also from our relationship and experiences with others.

These values we pick up from several people and believe are what form the basis of our character and our core values are the result of our behavior.

Now that we know what values are, I would to ask you these questions: what are your core values? Would you be proud if your child (ren) pick up your values and live by them?

Do you find it difficult answering those questions? If yes, I will urge you to sit down and define your own core values and then ask yourself “will I be proud if my child (ren) picks up these values”.

While I leave you to answer these questions,  I will see you next Tuesday when I will be sharing ‘Tips on how to instill values in Teens’ with you. Until then , STAY SAFE!

The Peculiar Panacea 2

Hello there!

Trust you are doing great.

So today, I am going to be unveiling the category of people who require a whole lot of attention in the society.

As a result of the various issues confronting the society today, especially in the aspect of moral decadence, several individuals and organizations both governmental and non governmental have stood up to reform the society in ways they can.

It is observed that a larger number of these social reformers pay more attention to aspects like social/political injustice, marital issues, entertainment among other areas and fortunately, there lots of religious propagators and teachers. 

However, a larger percentage of challenges experienced in the society today is as a result of the orientation and idealogy the adults of today had picked up as teenagers. 

 Teenage stage is the intermediary stage between childhood and adulthood and so the most delicate stage in human development. During childhood we are often taught and guided on what to do and not to do, but as teenagers we begin to develop a sense of self independence and therefore you to  make and take  decisions on our own, which implies that the attitudes we exhibit as adults were picked up at that stage.

All these points to the fact that teenagers are meant to be paid more attention.

Parents and adults generally require a delibrate and conscious effort in training teenagers. We need to pay attention to and not neglect their physical growth, spiritual knowledge, educational development, psychological balance and  emotional stability.

Rape: Not a defence or an escape route

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"Daddy, I Didn't Rape Her; God Was My witness".

I was in accident and emergency unit when I saw a father and a mother and their daughter and another father and a mother and their son. The boy was crying profusely. Right there the father slapped him again. " Femi, you put me and your mother to shame". He cried louder "Daddy I didn't rape her, God is my witness" His father replied, "if you had been that God's witness as I had brought you up may be you would not be calling God as your witness now, after putting me to shame."

The fight between the two families continued even in my presence in the emergency unit, with the father of the girl spitting fire, threatening how he would send the young man to 21 years imprisonment for raping her daughter and I could see the daughter shaking, crying and muffling some words like daddy he raped me, he raped me......

In all these, I was just looking like a zombie. I talked to myself I needed to end this whole drama and take charge, afterall I was the doctor they came to see.

I invited them all into inside my consulting room. All of them, six in number. Mr and Mrs Chukwu (real names witheld) and their daughter Amaka (not real

name) and Mr and Mrs Olu (not real names) and their son Femi (not real name).

I calmed everybody down in my office. The most difficult person to be calmed down was Mr Chukwu who kept spitting fire on the issue of her daughter Amaka

being raped by Mr Olu' s son Femi and kept threatening how he would make sure the young man rot in jail for 21 years according to the law of the land. " You" Mr Chukwu, pointing to Femi, "had the audacity to come to my apartment to rape my daughter, my own daughter, inside my own house, you are a dead meat".

I stood my ground again and told Mr Chukwu if he would not allow me to do my job then they could all go out of my consulting room and go and see another doctor in another hospital. At this junction, I seemed to get his attention. As I was about to start with Mr Chukwu to even give me background story of

what happened, a call came in for him and later came in were two senior army officers, obviously came to arrest Femi I guessed. Well as they came in, I welcomed

them too, making 8 people inside my consulting room.

Like I said I am the one in charge here. So I told everybody to calm down so that I could sort everything out. At least they needed my report to prosecute the boy in court of law.

I asked Mr Chukwu who obviously looked most aggrieved what was the problem in one sentence. He said Femi raped her daughter Amaka in his own apartment and he caught Femi red handed. I told him no problem I would sort him and everybody else out but in my profession there is something called confidentiality which everyone is entitled to. I asked Amaka the daughter how old she was, she managed to answer, 18 years old, as she was still shaking a little and crying. I asked Femi how old he was he said 19 years old. Then i asked Femi further how he got inside Mr Chukwu's apartment. He said they were next doors neighbours

in the estate. They were all staying in inside the same estate and their houses were next to one another and Amaka was his girlfriend, which was vehemently denied by Amaka immediately. 

Now I think I know how to resolve the whole issue. I announced to everybody I would interview each person involved in this matter individually starting with my primary patients who were Amaka and Femi. And I would interview Amaka first so everybody would excuse me and stay outside. I called a nurse to be my chaperone. So three of us were left inside my consulting room, myself, Amaka, and my nurse chaperone who was also our emergency matron. I made Amaka relaxed and calmed her from all her shaking and gave her my uttmost reassurance that all she said would remain between me and her. After winning her confidence, I appealed to her to please be sincere with me and her parents would never get to hear anything she told me. 

Ladies and gentlemen, the first statement I heard from Amaka's mouth shocked me to my spine bone marrow. She said and I quote "Femi didn't rape me doctor, he is my boyfriend in the estate." I screamed quietly, then why did you tell your father he was raping you when he caught two of you in your apartment?. She said her father was a strict senior army officer who would kill her if she did not claim rape. I looked at Matron, she saw the way my soul sank inside of me after hearing the statement. I told Amaka now the life and future of a young man were at stake, what do we do now? She said doctor "I can't own up, my father will bury me alive" I told her "the limits of confidentiality I owed her is where the freedom and safety of another person start." According to our ethics medically if the life of another person is at stake, I don't own you confidentiality at that junction I will have to tell the truth. So I asked

her further when did they start their relationship? She said 4 months ago. I asked her further how many times they had had sexual intercourse, she said 6 times, and four out of which they did not use condom. This time was 6th, this one her father came back from work to pick something and caught two of them

red handed in their apartment. I asked her what she was presently doing. She said two of them referring to Femi and herself were seeking admission to University,

they wrote the last JAMB, awaiting results. I asked her if condom was used this one the father caught them she answered yes. Now all matter resolved. 

The only problem now was Amaka being ready to tell everybody the truth and every party outside could rest. And as for me, this is a little trying time. I was in ethical dilemma in case Amaka did not do the right thing. Well the way we were trained to handle this kind of issue was for me to insist Amaka tell the truth or else I would break our confidentiality and tell everybody the truth myself. I counselled her to please do the right thing. Matron joined me

in the counselling, pleaded with Amaka severally to take responsibility for her action even if it would mean her father burying her alive and save the

young man from rotting in jail because if Femi was taken out of my consulting room by those senior military officers, it might make the permanent difference

in the life and future of the young man as a "rapist". After so much pleading Amaka reluctantly agreed to own up and tell everybody the truth. I invited the rest in back since the truth was here now. So I announced to everybody to be calm that Amaka had something to tell them all.

Ladies and gentlemen, as Amaka saw her father's face, she denied again and said it was a rape case. Then at this junction, I was forced to tell everybody the truth. Amaka denied me too and said I was lying against her she didn't tell me Femi and her were boyfriend and girlfriend having consensual, voluntary sex. I was shocked. I was confused. I opened my mouth down I could not close it. I called her, Amaka, three times "are you serious you did not tell me and

matron all this? what you just told me and matron right here". She denied us completely that we were lying against her making her father to come after me that I was trying to support the young man against her daughter but ladies and gentlemen I was more shocked by what the matron did. I never knew she was

recording all our conversation with Amaka all the while with her phone. She told Amaka's father what if we played the audio of everything your daughter confessed, to you? The father said which audio? Even myself I said which audio matron? That was how matron brought her phone out of her pocket and played all the things amaka said to everybody's hearing. That was the end of the story. 

Femi shouted "I said it I didn't rape her, God was my witness". The father

gave him two resounding slaps, he kept quiet immediately. Amaka's father too moved closer to her daughter gave her 3 resounding slaps, stormed out of the consulting room with the instruction to the other two senior army officers to bring his wife and Amaka, to meet him at home. I was left with Femi and his relieved parents and matron. At least they were relieved of their son not going to prison for 21 years for rape but also bitterly and utterly disappointed in their son, that they were elders in their church, their son could put them to this kind of shame in their estate. As a Deacon and Deaconess, the parents said they had introduced their son to God several times and made sure he attended every Sunday service and programme with them but didn't know he was not born again. I encouraged them to not give up. They should continue praying for him and bringing him up in the way of God, very soon their effort would yield result. They also left. I looked at matron I said "I stood at attention ma o. Were you working for FBI in your former life? Lol." Then matron laughed and left the consulting room, defending herself that she knew that that Amaka girl would deny us, that she knew the girl was lying all the while, that was why she did what she did. Now me alone left inside my consulting room, I was just wondering in my head. So many thoughts began to collude in my head, then many lessons dropping inside my head......

One, lesson number one, please under no condition should any woman use rape as a defence against any man I want to plead with us all. Rape is a very big

thing. Even If a man offends you or you need an escape route, please don't use rape to send any man to prison, I plead with you in the name of God, take responsibility

for your action.

Secondly, teenagers this is for you, premarital sex is a very very big big thing that you should never in your life dabble into. The complications of premarital sex can destroy your future and life completely that you may never recover from it. The complications range from unwanted pregnancy, to sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, sphyillis, HIV, Hepatitis etc, to ectopic pregnancy from contraceptive use to ending your career and life prematurely to putting yourself and your parents to shame. Sex is only meant for married people alone and only.

Thirdly, parents don't think because your teenagers were following you to church every sunday and to every programme, you think they are born again. You

need to still give them monitoring and home training and be their friend and give them parenting love and nurture them in the way of God and apply appropriate discipline at every necessary time and monitor the the kind of friend they keep in the estate, school, church and at every other place they go if they will not bring you that shame you most fear.

In conclusion, I was still in shock of what my matron did, if not for her may be I would have been in soup also too. Thank you matron for being an "FBI".

The Peculiar Panacea

Hello there!

My name is Baseetoh Oreoluwa Davies. Also known as Peculiar Panacea. I am a graduate of Mass Communication from the prestigious Lagos State University. I am a broadcast journalist, a researcher, an entrepreneur (C.E.O of Peculiar collections), a Muslimah, a proud wife of loving husband, and a caring mother. I am a social reformer, a teen lover.

In a bid to reform the society in my own little way, I see it as a priority to focus on a segment of people in the society, who are being given little attention by the society at large. Eager to know who those set of people are? Then join me on my social media platforms as I unveil who they are, how we all can work together to help them and how helping them will help reform and save our society from complete degradation.

Don't forget to join my social media platforms: Blog@daviesbaseetoh.blogspot.com

Facebook@ Baseetoh Oreoluwa Davies Daud

Instagram @ daviesoreoluwa

Twitter@ OBaasitah

Thanks in anticipation of working together to make our society better.

LASCOPA celebrate day ( Report written by me during my service year in LTV) 13th March,2020.

 O:C  Consumers have been urged to find sustainable alternatives to meet their needs  in order to avoid depleting the environment natural resources. This was made known at the 2020 world consumer Rights Day press briefing organised by the Lagos state consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) 

 Baseetoh Davies report

Commentary

In commemoration of this year's World consumer rights Day the Lagos state consumer protection Agency LASCOPA has kicked off celebration with a press briefing.

The general manager of the Agency Kemi Olugbode says activities to mark the day will be focused on enlightenment and sensitisation while urging business owners especially edible food sellers to  have adequate information about their goods.

     Track Up

Also speaking at the briefing the chairperson of the Agency Funmi Falana says the main aim of the Agency is not only to ensure consumers satisfaction but also ensure that their rights are protected. She also advised  consumer to patronise more organic produce 

 

Track up

The World consumer rights day is celebrated globally on the 15th of March to spread awareness about  consumers  rights and needs.

With the theme"the sustainable  consumer " this year's campaign will  discuss the need for sustainable consumption to 

increase resource efficiency and alleviate poverty 

News bar:

Consumer    protection day

Focus on consumers rights