The National Orientation Agency, NOA, has called on Nigerian parents to raise culture compliant children.
The Director General of the Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, gave the advice in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Tuesday, during an advocacy tour and media engagement.
Onilu said many parents, having abandoned their own culture and parental duties, were unwittingly raising foreigners as children in their homes.
He noted that the situation portended danger to the continuity of language, culture and traditions of Nigerians as a people.
Onilu said; “Some of us while growing up got civic education, where we learnt basic ethical issues and were inculcated with leadership ideals.
“You create idleness in the lives of children. They spent several hours at home and in school. They watch cartoons. Cartoons teach them foreign values and drop Nigerian values. You are raising foreigners and you think you are raising Nigerians.”
He also noted that since parents and government had abdicated their roles, the youths were picking up what they felt was good from the technology they interact with everyday.
Societal value
Onilu blamed declining societal values brought on by the urge to imitate everything Western as the cause of the anomaly.
“As they grow up, the vocabulary, the mentality are western and you say they prefer nudity than covering their body.
“The lifestyle of America is what they use for their cartoons. There are cartoons showing a man and a woman marrying and a woman and a woman marrying. Your children are watching it and they think it is normal,”he said.
The DG said the Nigerian Government would soon launch a National Character Charter to guide restoration of values, ethics, good conduct and culture in the country.
He said; “Now, the administration is launching Character Charter soon. That will be a compulsory subject from primary, secondary to university level to prepare our youths on what is expected of them as members of the society.
“It will inculcate morality and generally acceptable societal values in them from childhood to adulthood and guide them properly on Nigerian values and public conduct.”
Onilu urged all Nigerian parents to take their parental duties seriously and create time to explore aspects of their culture with their children.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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