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MORAL PROBITY AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: AN EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA

ABSTRACT

In this study, the researcher set out to examine the role of the electronic media in the crusade for moral probity and youth development. Towards this end, 81 staff of NTA and Radio Nigeria were randomly selected to form the study sample. The members of this study sample were given of copies of structured questionnaires to complete. Their responses were analyzed using percentages and chi-square test. The result of the analysis revealed the findings discussed below. The electronic media are potent tools for the crusade for moral probity and youth development in Nigeria. This is because that are used for exposing the dangers of bad moral behaviors as well as the benefits of moral probity to the youth. The electronic media encounter problems in their crusade for moral probity and youth development. Some of these problems include lack of interest on youth programmes by the Nigeria youths, inadequate funds to procedure youth programmes regularly and lack of skilled staff to produce interesting youth programmes. The electronic media could be made effective in their crusade for youth development when the following steps are taken. a.They (the electronic media house) should send their staff for training regularly b.The government should subsidize the cost of producing youths programs c.The electronic media should create a separate department which would be in charge of producing youth programmes.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The need for a disciplined society cannot be over emphasized, guiding from the moral decadence and greed in Nigeria. Today presently there are some individuals and unpatriotic individuals in the Nigeria society who disrupt all efforts in nation building and social order by planning the country with bribery and corruption, profiteering hoarding, embezzlement , cheating, injustice and other social ills. (igbikiowubo 2001). It is this the moral duty of every body to draw the attention of the public through the media houses and through seminars to the harm these social ills do to the society of ours. according to Awuyale (1999) the unity and prosperity of Nigeria cannot merely be determined in terms of education, economic development or self sufficiency alone, but mostly in terms of the fundamental good mass of its people as reflected in their lives, behaviors, attitude to work, readiness to appreciate certain inherent qualities in their dealings with their fellow citizens in total devotion, loyalty, uprightness and service to the country. The fact remains that it is only through this philosophy of moral rectitude that a virile  dynamic and disciplined society can emerge.

The above background serve as a starting point for our guest for a discipline society where the individuals gives up most of his selfish interests for the common good of the society. This has not been easy as man has instable need. These needs have been pursued by man at all most in different times, Nigeria like any other developing country’s citizens, have the propensity to acquire wealth, status, tittles and live ostentatiously in a bid to achieve this objective they degenerate morally to all forms or vices, putting therefore the individual before the society and the common good (Ugwu 2003). Many factors have been identified as serious impediments to growth and development in Nigeria. Some of these include: traditionalism,  resistant to change and immorality, these factors overlap in their interlocking explanation, (Anyauwu 2001) immorality for example towards a commonly held norm value or belief, manifested in bribery, corruption, greed, prostitution, nepotism, tribalism and fraud in our lives. These vices are observed in our individuals homes, political leadership, universities, the civil service, the police, armed forces and even in our universities.

Supporting the above views (Nwokocha 2000) stated that it is a matter for regret that the present day Nigerian society has known morals to the winds, and warmly embraced injury and immorality. According to him the Nigeria society today presents a bad reminder of the sinful and riotous lifestyle of the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah characterized by stealing, deceit, murder, bribery and corruption, cheating, fraud drunkenness, certainness  and greed. He explained that this sad situation can easily be traced to the domestic circumstances where good moral up-bringing and the fear of God is conspicuously missing. Parents no longer give good principles to their children who tend to copy moral decadence of their senior and grow up with it.

In the larger society, nothing gets done without money changing hands. Those who should protect the lives and properties these who should guard the nations border extract money from innocent motorist and collide with criminals. They also demand and receive gratification and grant free passage to smugglers. And in the offices, to functionaries demand 10 percent and even more of contract value before contract are awarded, while messengers, clerks and departmental head must have greased before movement of files is guaranteed (Oji 2001). In the individual homes, some parents are the contributors to the good up bringing of their children or youths. Such parents are ones who are making the future difficult for the Nigerian youths, because many of them are undisciplined uncultured and ungodly, they make their ill gotten wealth freely available to their children, consequently many of such children have been recorded as the worst in many of the Nigerian communities. Their behaviors are usually bad since they lack respect for elder, their teachers and their parents not to talk of their age mates or class mates (especially those from less privilege parent) whom they have no regard for at all. Thus because of their exposure to plenty of money, they now see themselves as “super children” who are entirely above the Nigeria laws. For example in the universities and other tertiary institutions they are either the leaders of decadent group or the financers of the gang of lawless student or lecturers (Ibegbu 2000).

They impress it on their poor lecturers the need for special treatment as “Lords”. Failure by some of these lecturers to do this may lead to maltreatment or roughly by these students who regard themselves as “sacred Cain” or untouchable. Even their less privilege mates are forced to toe their line. Otherwise hey  too, are often victimized. They are the ones that organize all sorts of parties in and outside campus, drive the best cars, carry and maintain the most beautiful girls or ladies  have more than one room on the campuses or live in the very luxurious flats outside and spend money as if it is an unlimited commodity. Even girls from such parentage share some of the attributes seen in these boys (Nwoga 200). All these are made worse by the fact that the Nigerian society accords undue respect and recognition to money bags. Even the churches have knighted super rich people while chieftaincy titles are lavishly bestowed on others for the heavy financial support they give to traditional institution (Ezike 1998) On the whole, the present day Nigerian society can only boast of the delinquent adults who have nothing to offer, but bad examples as legacy for the youths (the in coming generation). The time therefore has come for Nigerian to reflect on these social and moral ills of the society. Indeed corrective measures are needed to be taken to increase this trend for the good of the society.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Moral probity has been identified as a major contributor to youth development as well as for nation building. In Nigeria however, there is a high level of moral decadence in the country, especially among the youths. Hence drug addiction, prostitution, armed robbery, cheating, fraud and all forms of social vice are the order of the day in the country. Even the so called elders are not helping matters since a greater percentage of them engage in drunkenness, bribery and corruption, embezzlement, cheating, gratification of wealth and so on. The fact remained that all these social vices constraint to national development. Despite all the efforts made by the electronic media to reverse these trend, the problems still persist. What are actually the role of the media in the crusade for moral probity among the youth? Whey had they failed to fulfill these roles? How could electronic media be made more effective in youth development? These question presents the problems that necessitated this research.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of this study are as follows.

1. To identify the roles of the electronic media in the crusade for moral probity among the Nigerian youth.

2. To identify the problems being faced by the electronic media in the fulfillment of these roles.

3. To suggest the strategies for making the electronic media more effective in its crusade for moral probity and youth development.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTION

This study will be guided by the following research questions.

1. What are roles of the electronic media in the crusade for moral probity among the Nigeria youths.

2. Are there problems facing the electronic media in the fulfillment of moral roles

3. What are the strategies for making the electronic media more effective in the crusade for moral probity and youth development?

1.5    RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

H1:  Electronic media play useful roles in moral probity among youths

Ho:  Electronic media do not play useful roles in probity among youths.

H2:  The production of programmers on good morals by the electronic media improve youth behaviors

Ho:  The production of programmes on good morals by the electronic media will have no significant effect on youth behaviors

H3:  Adequate findings of the electronic media will make there more effective in their work.

Ho:  Adequate finding of the Nigerian electronic media will produce no significant effect on their operation.

1.6  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of the study will be of immense benefits to the Nigeria society, particularly the youths. The implementation of the recommendation to be made in this study will lead to moral rebirth and transformation of the entire country’s citizens. The country will thus produce disciplined youth who will lead the country to the promise land.

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