The Sarakin Akadin of Bwari Area Council and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chairman School Based Management Committee (SBMC), Dr. Ibrahim Yusuf, blamed the moral decadence in Nigeria on the colonial masters.
Speaking at the launch of Moral Values and Ethics (MoVES) foundation club in FCT schools, he accused colonial masters of deceiving Africa and Nigeria by extension, into practicing their culture and religion.
He said: “Moral value and ethics is lost in Nigeria. The gap is too much that nobody is left out but the government is adding to the problem; if you raise a cane against a child the government will take it up as violation of human rights.
“Government should lend their support instead because the gap is much.
The parents, teachers, traditional and religious rulers, security personnel and every other person have their own responsibility.
“Our value system was very high until the expatriates came. They are the major reason in the decline in our moral, value and ethics. They deceived us and we are practicing their culture whereas they are not practicing ours. We left our values, culture, ways of life and were busy buying and imitating other cultures. We were okay until we started imitating others, we need to go back and follow the scriptures.”
Pat John-Oseh, the brain behind the club, said the objective of the initiative is to mould the character that will help shape the mindset of children to become men and women of dignity, character and finesse.
She explained that arrangements have been concluded to host at least, the club premiere in each of the area councils per week, in both public and private primary schools.
She said: “A lot of other things that are happening it seems we don’t have a solution to them so I thought of catching them young by starting with a Morals Values and Ethics (MoVEs) club from my foundation from primary schools, to teach them the importance of respect, integrity, good behaviour, morals, values and virtues we know growing up which have kept our parents till today.
“The social media has its advantages and disadvantages a lot of people are coping what they see others do on social media not knowing we have our culture.
“I believe that it’s never too late to start a change, It’s never too late to show the right way and it’s never too late to start on the next generation. When an individual has good morals and the right ethical standards, the person won’t be thinking of how to cut corners or be crooked. Things like ‘sharp practices’ would be anathema to such an individual.”
She also disclosed that MoVES foundation has been fighting the rights of girls and women to education and empowerment to make their lives more meaningful.
“MoVES foundation is looking at girls denied education; in our little way we support them to go back to school and parents who do not believe girls should go to school, we support them and also empower them,” she said.
Chairman, FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Dr. Alhassan Sule, said it has become pertinent to recreate moral framework in schools to make it possible for the next generation to pick up what has been lost along the way in terms of morality, values and ethics.
“There are thousands of schools in our dear country, but we all know that what makes for valuable schooling is when pupils as well as students are groomed in character and learning.
“One thing I love most about the strategy of MoVES is that the foundation is targeting the youngest population amongst us, the children. It is true that our children make up about 20 to 30 percent of our population, however, they are 100 percent of our future,” he said.
Director, Primary School Services, UBEB, Habiba Aliyu, lamented the negligence of most parents, who have relegated their responsibilities to teachers.
“For those of us in the teaching profession, it is no longer strange to hear that many parents have lost their divine responsibility to instill good morals in their children. This is because many homes today have men and women who are waist deep in all manner of vices, which makes it difficult for them to teach right behavior.
“The values of our youths have long been eroded which makes it difficult for the future generation. The teachers cannot do it alone, most of the responsibilities for parents have been transfered to the reachers because they are busy chasing after other things forgetting their children,” Aliyu said.
