The “Son of Belial” in Ancient Israel and “Akukuubi” in Traditional Yoruba Society as Impelling Mechanisms for Parental Responsibility in Contemporary Nigeria

In every human community, living a moral life is important for mutual co-existence. However, the reverse is the case with most Nigerian youths that are notable for amoral life style as a result of unbridled freedom, selfishness and overambition, which is traceable to lack of adequate parental care. This prevailing moral decline calls for a swift reaction as it has become a notable venom in their blood. To curb the menace of moral laxity in the recent time, there is a need to take a clue from the peoples of antiquity to see and learn from their experiences how they handled such problems in their own time. In the ancient Israel and the traditional Yoruba society, several metaphorical expressions were employed as moral mechanisms while addressing the problems of parental irresponsibility. This paper therefore examines the use of the “Son of Belial” in the ancient Isreal society in line with the understanding of Akukuubi in the context of parental irresponsibility in the Yoruba society. It focuses on the relevance of this traditional method in both the ancient and the present times. Biblical texts and 20 purposively selected Yoruba proverbs were the primary data. Biblical texts were subjected to textual criticism while the Yoruba proverbs were transliterated. Using historical-critical method in the interpretation of both the Biblical texts and the selected Yoruba proverbs, the paper recommends that parenting should be more of a communal enterprise in contemporary societies; it should involve the entire community and not be limited to the parents of the children. Biological parents should also appreciate communal efforts in training children.