The Lagos State Ministry of Woman Affairs, through the Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) on Friday urged parents to ensure proper upbringing of their wards and children to curb social vices in the society.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),Mrs Cecelia Bolaji the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation made the appeal at a one-day workshop organised at the Igando/Ikotun Local Council Development Area.
Bolaji, represented by Mrs Oluwatoyin Olorunfemi, Director, Domestic Violence Department, WAPA, said parents must play active roles to curb the rising rate of crimes among adolescents and youths.
She said: ”The enormous involvement of youths, teenagers and children in ritual killings, kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and others can be curbed if parents ensured proper upbringing of their wards and children from childhood.
”The Lagos State Government has zero-tolerance stance for idleness and mediocrity, particularly among youths and that is why we are having this enlightenment in the community .
”Poor behavioural patterns can easily be linked to parents who neglect their children and their statutory charge as modifiers of children’s attitudes from infancy to adulthood, with indices of adolescent crimes coming from Alimosho communities.
”The purpose of this workshop is to enlighten parents who commit all sorts of atrocities in the presence of their children to stop such attitude, especially in Alimosho Community which has high reports of adolescent crimes.”
The Commissioner implored the 250 parents in attendance to adopt better parenting skills, applying proper disciplinary measures where necessary, spending quality time with them and supporting their growth.
The Director, Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), Mrs. Bose Ironsi, commended WAPA for the enlightenment programme geared at curbing domestic violence in the home front.
She urged parents to pay appropriate attention to their wards and desist from using derogatory languages in speaking to them.
Ironsi also urged them to understand that unity between parents was paramount in moulding children.
”Parents should exude good values and principles which they can instil in their children, thereby laying the appropriate foundation for them to be emulated and be the change agents in their communities,” she said. (NAN)
