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    Be a Beacon of Hope in the World: A Message to Young Britain
    Be a Beacon of Hope in the World: A Message to Young Britain
    Be a Beacon of Hope in the World: A Message to Young Britain
    Ebook112 pages1 hour

    Be a Beacon of Hope in the World: A Message to Young Britain

    By John Aduma

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    Why does one youngster stab another with a knife which they will never, ever dare to stab themselves with? Why are our young people killing themselves without thinking of the pains and sorrow such barbarism and bestiality will leave their loved ones with for the rest of their lives? Why do some young persons—members of the same community—prey on one another with such jungle-like ferocity in the nation’s cities? Why are there now so many of such gruesome, purposeless, wicked and unwarranted killings in the nation’s cities as if Britain is now a land that devours its children? More worrisome is the fact that when they are hacked to death so young, what happens to their dreams, visions, goals and aspirations?

    Heart-rending as these painful questions are, Be a Beacon of Hope in the World: A Message to Young Britain does not attempt to offer answers to these puzzles arising from the untimely deaths of Britain’s children through knifings. However, it seeks to act as a guidepost, compass and a Sat Nav to point young persons in the right direction and on the path of civility, decency, common sense, humaneness and universal altruism, whereupon they are expected to have respect: for themselves, for others and for all of life’s forms. Therefore, let the alarm bell, which this book will trigger, warn all young persons in Britain and the world over that to live in the fast lane is to die young. Let this message reverberate through the vista of time.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAustin Macauley Publishers
    Release dateJan 4, 2022
    ISBN9781528918398
    Be a Beacon of Hope in the World: A Message to Young Britain
    Author

    John Aduma

    John Aduma, British Chevening Scholar, poet and a veteran journalist with industry prizes – Reporter of the Year, 1992 and Investigative Reporter of the Year, 1992 – was formerly chairman editorial board of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, 2000–2003; executive secretary, Foundry Association of Nigeria (FAN), 1997–2000; between 1994 and 1997, he was at various times assistant features editor, assistant news editor, head, property and environment desk and city watch editor at The Punch; senior correspondent, The Independent Weekly, 1993, and staff reporter with The Guardian, 1990–1993. Educated both in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom, Mr Aduma attended Christ the King’s School, Okpoma, Yala, Ogoja in 1969 in the former South Eastern State of Nigeria, now Cross River State; St. Mel’s Primary School, Woleche, Ebo, 1971; St. Gabriel’s Primary School, Ebo Ipuole, 1972–1974; Christian Vocational Commercial School, Okuku, Ogoja, 1975; Faith Institute of Stenography, Shogunle, Lagos, Nigeria, 1976; and for his secondary school, he attended and obtained the joint School Certificate and General Certificate of Education (GCE), Ordinary Level at Aladura Comprehensive High School, Anthony Village, Lagos, Nigeria from 1977–1982; University of Ibadan Extra-Mural Studies, Department of Adult Education, 1983–1984; worked at Exam Success Correspondence College, Lagos, between 1983 and 1985, and he holds an MA in international journalism with specialism in environment from City, University of London; City Business College, London, 2005–2006; MA in English, University of Lagos, Nigeria; a BA (Hons) English Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; post-graduate diploma in journalism, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos; specialist diploma in teaching English: Literacy and ESOL, Level 5; Certificate in Education and Training (CET), Level 4 and an Award in Education and Training (AET), Level 3, CONEL, London. He is the author of the inspirational bestseller The Diamonds Are Here, Lord Rumens (ed.), and the publisher of Vigilance – the world’s leading security magazine (www.vigilance-securitymagazine.com) and Scorpion News Corp (www.scorpionnewscorp.com). Besides, he is involved in City, University of London’s professional mentoring scheme as a Post Graduate Professional Mentor (PGPM). Mr Aduma is currently a doctoral researcher at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS), SOAS, University of London.

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      Book preview

      Be a Beacon of Hope in the World - John Aduma

      About the Author

      Photo: Samantha Strutt

      John Aduma, British Chevening Scholar, poet and a veteran journalist with industry prizes – Reporter of the Year, 1992 and Investigative Reporter of the Year, 1992 – was formerly chairman editorial board of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, 2000–2003; executive secretary, Foundry Association of Nigeria (FAN), 1997–2000; between 1994 and 1997, he was at various times assistant features editor, assistant news editor, head, property and environment desk and city watch editor at The Punch; senior correspondent, The Independent Weekly, 1993, and staff reporter with The Guardian, 1990–1993.

      Educated both in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom, Mr Aduma attended Christ the King’s School, Okpoma, Yala, Ogoja in 1969 in the former South Eastern State of Nigeria, now Cross River State; St. Mel’s Primary School, Woleche, Ebo, 1971; St. Gabriel’s Primary School, Ebo Ipuole, 1972–1974; Christian Vocational Commercial School, Okuku, Ogoja, 1975; Faith Institute of Stenography, Shogunle, Lagos, Nigeria, 1976; and for his secondary school, he attended and obtained the joint School Certificate and General Certificate of Education (GCE), Ordinary Level at Aladura Comprehensive High School, Anthony Village, Lagos, Nigeria from 1977–1982; University of Ibadan Extra-Mural Studies, Department of Adult Education, 1983–1984; worked at Exam Success Correspondence College, Lagos, between 1983 and 1985, and he holds an MA in international journalism with specialism in environment from City, University of London; City Business College, London, 2005–2006; MA in English, University of Lagos, Nigeria; a BA (Hons) English Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; post-graduate diploma in journalism, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos; specialist diploma in teaching English: Literacy and ESOL, Level 5; Certificate in Education and Training (CET), Level 4 and an Award in Education and Training (AET), Level 3, CONEL, London.

      He is the author of the inspirational bestseller The Diamonds Are Here, Lord Rumens (ed.), and the publisher of Vigilance – the world’s leading security magazine (www.vigilance-securitymagazine.com) and Scorpion News Corp (www.scorpionnewscorp.com).

      Besides, he is involved in City, University of London’s professional mentoring scheme as a Post Graduate Professional Mentor (PGPM).

      Mr Aduma is currently a doctoral researcher at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS), SOAS, University of London.

      Dedication

      This book is dedicated to all the young persons of the world who, on reading it, will resolve to turn over a new leaf and help create a world free of knife and gun crimes, including other types of crime – violence, killings, injustices – and usher into our human community, universal altruism, justice and harmonious peaceful coexistence amongst all the peoples of the world and generally, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding in a ‘live and let live world’!

      Copyright Information ©

      John Aduma 2022

      The right of John Aduma to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

      Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

      A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

      ISBN 9781528918381 (Paperback)

      ISBN 9781528918398 (ePub e-book)

      www.austinmacauley.com

      First Published 2022

      Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

      1 Canada Square

      Canary Wharf

      London

      E14 5AA

      Acknowledgements

      This book offers a rare opportunity for me to thank Papa, Adamede Aduma Ogri; Mama, Oji Eneyi Aduma (nee Wonah Ogbudu), for their excellent parenting and training me up in the way I should go in life and in my relationship with God; other family or sociocultural moderators in my upbringing, some of whom were my guardians whilst growing up included: Great Grandma Ene Odra Agrinya, Grandma Ogeyi Elo, Grandpa Ogri Ekawu, paternal Grandma Ene Ekawu Odey Omugbe, Odra Onwogidi, Wonah Onwogidi, Arija Onwogidi, Lega Onwogidi, and my elder sister, Ogeyi Aduma.

      Other loved ones that I shall not fail to mention here are: Agbo Aduma, Ogri Aduma, Ogbene Aduma, Odey Ojeka, Aduma Ojeka, Oji Ojeka, Arija Okabo, Ofie Oleja, Okpagu O’ Oko-Okpagu, Imaria Aduma, Ugbada Aduma, Wonah Aduma, Ochuole Ogri, Ogar Ohiero, and other members of my families, paternal and maternal, too numerous to mention here.

      Also to be acknowledged are friends, former teachers and associates such as Neil and Margaret Pearce, Oloko Odey, John Ijoko, Ezekiel Shonowo, Jayne Okoroji, Linus Izor, Peter Awotidebe, Rev Sola Aworinde, Mrs O.A. Alabi, Mr R.A. Adeoye, Anthony Omligbe, Chidi Umeh, Sumaila Ida, Oluremi Olaoye, Sunday Falade, Mukaila Popoola, David Okon, Paul Okoh, Rev Alan Beavis, Francis Akinwunmi, S.A. Adeyemi, Jimmy Ovuehor, John and Katie Smith, Sue Ives-Moiba, Pouri Mashoof, Bill Griffiths and Ms Samantha Strutt who took my headshot for this book.

      Prologue

      Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.

      – Proverbs 22:6

      Preface

      Tears in my eyes, agony in my soul, pains

      and anguish in my little corner, but…

      "Why are you downcast, O my soul?

      Why so disturbed within me?"

      - Psalm 42:5.

      When for the first time in Britain, I heard and read about young people stabbing themselves with knives and with other instruments of violence – and later to be pejoratively tagged by the British press as ‘black-on-black violence’ – my world was shattered and has so remained ever since at the spectre of young Britain cutting short their lives before their actual times here on Earth and worsened now that this bestiality and monstrosity has been allowed to become an epidemic of immense proportion, happening now at increasing and intractable regularity.

      Therefore, the best way to begin the prefatory statement to this book on the epidemic of knife crime in the cities of Great Britain and, generally speaking, youth violence in the United Kingdom, is perhaps, to pose the questions:

      Why are they hacking themselves to death so young, leaving their loved ones and society to sorrow perpetually?

      And what happened to all their dreams when they died so young?

      How many more will die before we all join hands to stop this blood thirstiness amongst young Britain, eventuating in the free flow of the blood of young persons, which flows ceaselessly like the cascading waters of the Niagara Falls?

      Personally, these are a few of the myriads of questions that usually do course through and predominates my mind each time a young person is gruesomely hacked to death very untimely. And continued to haunt my mind, have these bestiality, monstrosity and other behavioural tendencies of children and youngsters in public and private spaces since my arrival in Britain in 2003. My culture shock, you would say; for in Nigeria, children and young persons are brought up to respect the sanctity of life and the elderly.

      My first noticeable difference between children and young persons in the United Kingdom and their counterparts in Nigeria/Africa was their general lack of environmental sensitivity as often displayed on buses, trains and in public places.

      This total lack of sensitivity amongst young people in Britain, and their lack of respect for the other persons sharing any public spaces at any given point in time with them, are a daily occurrence in every public space they share with others, especially those slightly above them in age.

      And a memorable one I have continued to remember till date, was an occurrence on a bus I was on, with some

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