The wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo, has cautioned mothers against allowing their children to engage in internet fraud, as it reflects poorly on their upbringing.
She said this on Sunday, during a special Mother’s Day service at the Aso Rock Chapel in Abuja.
Mrs. Osinbajo emphasized that the quality of Nigerian society reflects the kind of parenting that children receive from their mothers.
She also stated that mothers have a responsibility to instill discipline not only in their biological children but in every child they come across.
In her words; “As I walked in, I could hear the speaker remarking about the mothers of ‘yahoo-yahoo’ boys. How can you be at peace if your child is not on the good path of life; if there is no truth in them?
“We have a duty to lead our children to the Lord. We are not meant to only teach them but to train them.
“Teaching is when we speak about something. Training is when we stand over them and ensure that they practice what we teach them.”
Mrs. Osinbajo mentioned that teaching and training children are two different things, and it is crucial for mothers to not only speak about good behavior but to ensure that their children practice what they are taught.
Mrs. Osinbajo cited the North East Children’s Trust and the Learning Centre, a foundation she runs with her husband, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in Borno State, as examples of how a mother’s love and support can change the lives of vulnerable children.
She said,d “Some boys under the bridge many years ago called me ‘Mama’. They were my children. They were rough and dirty.
“But by the time a mother’s love stepped in, they were more honest than some people in the church. They changed so drastically.”
“On His Excellency’s birthday, we went to Maiduguri where we have over 300 children.
“They are our children. And so there are any of your children out there waiting for you to take responsibility,” she added.
She stated that the North East Children’s Trust is a private sector-led charity and social engineering initiative established in 2017 to provide sustainable learning ecosystems for vulnerable children aged between 5 and 18 years, who have become orphans due to the insurgency in North-East Nigeria.
Mother’s Day honours the mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society, and it is celebrated in over 40 countries, including Nigeria, on the fourth Sunday in lent.
