Is it that some of us are too old and out of touch with reality or the world today has lost its values? Why would pupils in basic schools, who, in my estimation, should not be more than 16 years, be consulting mediums simply in search of quick, overnight money that they have never worked for at that age? Where are the parents and school authorities?
Has our world become so instant that apart from instant coffee, tea, fufu, drinks and the make-over, money too could be acquired overnight?
Occultism practice
The story last week that junior high school pupils of Mary Afriyie SDA JHS at Mampongten in the Kwabre East District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana were suspected to be practising occultism in the school was shocking to read. What is the world coming to?
According to a front page story of the February 24, 2016 issue of the Daily Graphic, some pupils of the SDA JHS had been consulting a Mallam, who directed them to perform some rituals and recite some incantations which would help them to get free money overnight.
So far, seven pupils, all of them males, have been apprehended for practising the occult after school hours. The leader of the seven, aged 13, is said to be in Primary Six and the rest aged 11 to 15 are all in JHS 2.
The Daily Graphic report indicated that investigations by the school were ongoing while a search on the pupils by the police led to the discovery of two mobile phones, some powder, drinks, spray, cigarette sticks, cowries, and a small mat among other items which were believed to be used for rituals.
Influence of money
Are we safe as a society if at the young ages of 11 to 15, our children are already getting influenced by money are seeking the quickest possible means to make that money? How safe are we if at that age, occultism and its supposed fixes have taken over such young minds? Is occultism an escape in life?
We live in dangerous times and the signs are everywhere that money and the love of it is gradually taking over the lives of our young ones. We as adults are probably failing our children if we are not living by examples and teaching them decent living through hard work.
Unfortunately, the craze for money and sometimes instantly is the life one sees around and which is fuelling all kinds of evil living, including stealing, corruption and lies. People are getting into employment and the first thing they are looking for is affluence. Those who are lucky to get jobs at a time of graduate unemployment are not patient to bid their time. The minute they get their foot in a job, they begin to lace their boots in a rush for money outside their regular sources of income. In a year or two, they own cars and are looking to acquire properties. We all know their incomes could not possibly support their acquisitions but nobody questions them.
Instant lives
People are cutting corners and undercutting their fellows simply for what they can make instantly. Selfishness has overtaken commitment to public good. Prices are inflated depending on what one could derive from a deal. A workman coming in to do a job for you will base his ridiculous charges on the status of your home or office.
Young people are risking their future and sometimes their lives by allowing themselves to be used as carriers of drugs simply for the cash benefits they would receive. Some are forcibly snatching vehicles while others are robbing by callously killing or maiming others who have worked hard and for years to acquire decent living.
Morality seems to be eroding from a society where in times past, hard work was more glorified than instant wealth. Perhaps, we as adults are failing in our moral duties to help shape a generation that fear God or Allah. We would be called upon to account for the moral examples we left for a generation that today seems to be closing its mind to the fact that there is nothing like overnight riches because the hand that does not work, does not eat.
Instant fixes as a way of life, whether by deceit, lies, crude ways of staying smart or occultism, may turn around to hunt us if we all do not make it our duties now to stamp out greed and selfishness from our society.
