I often hear folks say, ‘Dekabi leggi kom Kumba aam ndey, ak Kumba bu’ammut ndey.’

This Wolof proverb brings to mind the car drifting that’s common among our teenagers and is costing lives. Despite the plethora of complaints and public outrage, this dangerous trend seems to go unaddressed.

Some years ago, a young man was allegedly killed by a teenage drifter who is still roaming the streets scot-free. And just recently, a similar case was reported at Abuko Upper Basic School, where the victim was reportedly amputated after being hit by another outlawed drifter.

This leaves me with no better question than to ask, do we have people who are above the laws of our land? This is where the police should play a significant role by prosecuting those drifters whose actions violate the law.

Parents also have a big role to play. I know for a fact that these teenage drifters do not own the cars they use,  they are using their parents’ cars to break the law and endanger both their own lives and the lives of others.

While I understand that we are interrelated in many ways in this country, which sometimes allows certain offenders to evade punishment,  I also believe that the culture of impunity must be fought if we are serious about building our nation.

Children must be raised to be responsible members of society. As a parent, you cannot simply say, I have no control over my kids. That would be a failure to take full responsibility for your children.

By Adama Makasuba