The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has admonished parents on the need of raising their children to be good citizens.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Dennis Otu, on Wednesday to mark this year’s Children’s Day Celebration, the speaker enjoined he children to shun anti-social behaviours and live a worthy life.
According to him, “For years now, we have made the Children’s Day Celebration an annual event where our worthy future leaders are celebrated and get challenged to be want they are expected to be in future”.
He added, “It takes a village to raise children. What that means essentially is that to raise upstanding children whom we would pass on the baton of leadership to and so all hands must be on deck to get the job done.”
The speaker noted that lawmakers in the state had endeavoured to do just that in the past years by passing the Child Rights Law, which among other provides for the compulsory education of children to junior secondary school in the state.
“Determined to ensure that our children are prepared for the opportunities of the 21st century, the Legislature has provided legislative support to all education and children-related bills since the inception of His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration,” he said.
He disclosed that the governor had since approved the establishment of technical colleges across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state and also birthed a full-fledged Ministry of Technical Education to provide technical education, modern learning tools and creating the right environment for children to study.
Rt Hon Oborevwori described this year’s celebration as unusual because of the COVID-19 pandemic, advising that; “Our wards and children should begin to acquire new set of IT skills to survive and thrive in this new normal times.”
The speaker charged parents to ensure that they lead their wards on the path of moral rectitude and obedience to the laws of the land, saying that; “Parents have greater role to play in shaping and instilling the right values in their children. They must inculcate in them the fear of God and the acute understanding of the principles of right and wrong. Our Children must shun anti-social behaviors that may stand in their way of rising to their greatness”.
He used the opportunity to advise the youths not to be involved in criminal activities, noting that they have been given the opportunity to become all that they ever wanted to be and challenged them rise to the occasion.
While imploring them to do their parents and the state proud, he noted that bad behaviour would not let them to fulfil their purpose in life instead it will take them down the path of destruction.
The speaker who reemphasized that it is a great time to be a Deltan and be part of the Stronger Delta Vision of the Okowa-led administration, said; “I therefore urge our children that we are celebrating to resist peer pressure to engage in illicit behaviours and to look up to the future with high hopes. I wish our children and wards happy celebration.”