‘Instill right values in your children’ – First Lady to parents

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First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has urged mothers to instill strong values in their children, fostering a bond of trust and open lines of communication.

Her spokesperson, Busola Kukoyi, conveyed this message in a statement made at the National Cybercrime Summit and the launch of the 24/7 Rapid Response Desk by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.

The First Lady underscored that true prosperity stems from hard work and integrity, warning that deviating from these principles could lead to serious consequences.

“Be their friends, don’t be judgmental, but love them until they find themselves. We are the children’s first teachers and have a great influence on our children. What we inculcate in them matters a lot to their outcome in life”.

Mrs Tinubu emphasised that the world is facing a critical reality in the digital age, which presents both remarkable opportunities and significant challenges.

She highlighted that while these advancements can drive progress, they also expose the nation to new vulnerabilities that must be addressed with urgency and decisiveness.

“I am informed that thousands have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted, yet there is no indication that the number of those involved is decreasing. With young people accounting for more than 60% of the population, the involvement of youth in cybercrime is a threat to the nation’s quest for economic development and stability.

“It is crucial that we emphasise and entrench the culture of hard work rooted in honesty and dignity of labour among our teeming youth. In this regard, parents play a pivotal role in raising and guiding their children and wards to be God-fearing and inculcate in them good values, morals and a sense of patriotism.

“Bond of trust and understanding should be created between parents and their children to allow for open communication, whereby their fears and insecurities could be addressed”.

Quoting from the Bible, the First Lady noted that every hand must be on deck to make the nation a prosperous one.

“As pointed out in the scriptures, ‘…that the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field’, (Ecclesiastes 5:9). As leaders in our various endeavours, we must realise that the commonwealth of Nigeria is for all of us to benefit, hence, the need to assist and guide our youth to engage in positive online activities, rather than resorting to cybercrime”.