Lira-The Paramount Chief of Tekwaro Lango Eng. Dr. Michael Moses Odongo Okune has urged parents to develop a balanced approach in parenting by giving equitable attention to both girls and boys.
Okune says research shows that boys have more challenges in their teen ages and adulthood that stem from early childhood development particularly in the area of handling emotions.
He was reacting to recent reports that Lango sub region has recorded a spike in murder cases coming second after Kampala Metropolitan area.
Lango sub region has 10 administrative units namely Alebtong, Amolatar, Apac Dokolo, Oyam, Otuke, Kole, Kwania, Lira and Lira city.
According to the Police, two rural districts of Oyam and Alebtong, where the effects of Kony-led insurgency and cattle rustling were most felt, have recorded more cases than others.
Local leaders have attributed the spike in murder cases to property/land wrangles among family members, gender-based violence and passion as well as drug and substance abuse as well as unemployment among the youth.
However, the paramount chief Eng. Okune points out that the main catalyst to the problem is neglect of the boys who are left to grow without parental guidance which makes them act impulsively.
“There is a problem with our people who have the mistaken belief that boys or men are naturally hustlers and strong-minded not needing any support or guidance and it’s the reason we are having so many issues,” Okune observes.
He says most parents think only supporting their children to attain the best education is an end in itself without considering other factors like spiritual aspects as well as cultural values and norms.
Eng. Okune says while the girl is empowered with knowledge and skills like education and how to succeed in life, the boy is left without any guidance to the detriment of society.
He added: “As mothers and aunts guide their daughters from childhood to adulthood, let’s also teach the boys virtues like patience, respect, decency, tolerance and perseverance so as to cope with life’s challenges.”
In Lango, like most areas in Uganda, a mother is always in the background mentoring her daughters and equipping them with life skills while little or no attention is paid to the boys who end up being robbers, rapists, embezzlers of public funds and murderers of their spouses.
Okune is now asking clan chiefs (owitong) to work closely with stakeholders like religious leaders to revive the long held values and norms of community parenting where a child belongs to everybody.
