Parents have been asked to bring their wards up in the right way and fulfill the task of being teachers to their children, so that the young ones will witness development in all areas of their lives. The charge was given by Prof. Pat Utomi, founder, Centre for Value in Leadership during the 2022 Parents and Youths Forum organised by Board of Lectors, St. Mary Catholic Church, Isolo, with the theme, “Under pressure: the challenges, truth and solutions about peer pressure”, held Saturday, June 4, 2022 at Domus Maria Auditorium, Isolo, Lagos. Stating that nobody can care for children more than their parents, Prof. Utomi noted that there are special benefits from the teachings that children get from their parents. He urged the youths to form the habit of reading, adding that they should read the right books to make an impact that is positive on their lives.
Noting that the way to go through life is to know the particular things they want in life, Utomi urged the youths to plan the way to treat various stakeholders in their lives in order to take away power from their peers who are trying to use them. He said: “As usual, peer always pressure you into some kind of behaviour, but when you have determined where you want to be, you do not succumb to peer pressure.” On social media influence, he said: “What you get out of it is what you choose that you want to get out of it. So, if you use it for good, it makes you the kind of person when you show up they say ‘genius’. If you use it negatively, it will make you less than you should be.” On leadership, he said: “If you focus on yourself all the time, you are not a leader.
Leadership is being more thoughtful of others.” Brendan Apata, Vice Chairman, Board of Lectors, St. Mary Catholic Church, Isolo, Lagos and Chairperson Planning Committee, Parents and Youths Forum, 2022 said they brought youths, parents and others together to have a national discussion that is currently ravaging the country. He said: “The youths of our country are under pressure. Parents are also under pressure. But when we are not discussing, a lot of the youths in particular are taken to different vices that inadvertently lead them to their early graves. The youths need to have a direction, but parents need to provide direction and guidance to these youths. “We have created this platform in order for our youths to actually be able to say something, and that adults and those in government should also listen to what the youths want and together we can have a beautiful country.”
Stating that parents are distracted by so many things around them today, he called on government to provide the enabling environment for adults to thrive in their endeavours; so that they can pay adequate attention on their wards and make them better citizens of the country. On saving children from the streets, he said: “One of the very important strata of participants we have invited is the counsellors of various schools. Apart from the students in public schools and private schools, we have people in churches that are also not Catholics. “We have invited Muslims from different central mosques. What we are actually trying to achieve is that people live in communities where we see children who are not as privileged as some of us are. So, from coming together in a platform like this, they see people that they can identify with; people in public and private sectors sitting together under one roof, eating, drinking and having good time listening to very good counselling.”
He disclosed that the counsellors and NGOs invited will take messages to schools, streets where they can see how youths are galvanised to proper direction of doing things. Advising youths not to sell their conscience and future, Apata urged them to choose to participate in the governance of their country, adding that those old enough should register and obtain their PVCs. He said: “When you hear manifestos from different politicians being brought out, please take your time to listen to them and look at them so that you know those who would really care about us and about our future.”
