Sir: The sudden drowning and death of the three-year old son of Nigeria’s ace musician, Davido, leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. It was quite unbelievable that a little boy who marked his birthday just a few days earlier could have his life lost to such a highly avoidable circumstance.
Ifeanyi was said to have been left in the care of his nanny by the parents who were out of the town. The said little boy’s minder was said to have gone outside to pick a call when the little boy went out of the building unnoticed, headed towards the swimming pool unseen by anyone, and entered the swimming pool without any awareness.
The entire story is as condemnable as it’s horrifying. Common sense dictates that where little children are involved, special care is needed because of their vulnerability, not even in an environment with such a tempting facility.
And so the first rule ought to be that the boy should never be left alone even for a second except someone is on the ground to monitor his actions and movements. So even if the nanny wanted to pick a call, what stopped her from holding the boy for whom she was employed in one hand, or ensure that the door is firmly locked to prevent him from sneaking out?
And when this was not done, and he was left with the chef, why couldn’t the chef too bridge the gap by taking the little boy along just to ensure he was not alone?
However, the mistakes of two careless domestic staffers have led to a clearly avoidable disaster and an adorable little boy has become not only the victim but also a lesson to other parents.
Children’s best keepers are their parents, and no one should ever make any mistake of abdicating parental roles to those who may only be interested in the salary and not the responsibility that goes with it.
It’s so unfortunate that Ifeanyi had to leave the way he did but even in death, apart from teaching every parent a big lesson, he also left an indelible mark as the child with the greatest number of sympathisers ever recorded in the history of Nigeria. May his gentle soul rest in peace.
• Jide Oyewusi, coordinator of Ethics Watch International, Lagos.
