Ahead of the International Peace Day, an Islamic Cleric, Alhaji Abdul Isola, has urged parents and leaders at all levels to serve as role models in promoting mutual tolerance and peaceful co-existence.
Isola, who is a senior scholar at the Islamic Centre in Uwani, Enugu, gave the advice while speaking, in Enugu, on Wednesday.
He noted that most youths were products of misguided teachings and conducts by their parents and role models in the society.
The cleric stressed that parents should not abandon their God given responsibility of bringing up their children with sound morals and fear of God because of their pursuit of material wealth.
“As a scholar and cleric that mentors many young people, I have found out that most of their parents do not play their needed part in their upbringing anymore; while there are number of bad conducts by leaders as well.
“What the society especially parents and leaders owe to these teeming number of youths is proper guidance and the need to be patient with life. Rome as they say was not built in a day.
“I believe that when the issues concerning and surrounding the youths are taken care of, there will be an unprecedented calm in the country,’’ he said.
Isola, who is also the Chief Imam of the Centre, noted that Nigeria as a country is richly and vastly blessed with natural resources that could create wealth to cater for the needs of everybody.
“We are richly blessed by God Almighty through abundant natural and human resources; all we need is the spirit of love and accommodation so that everybody gets what is due to him or her.
“We must see ourselves, irrespective of religion, tribe and political affiliations, as humans that come from the same root of Adam, the first man created by God Almighty,’’ he said.
NAN recalls that the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared Sept. 21, as International Day of Peace to be observed all over the world.
According to the UNGA, it is a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
The theme for 2017 International Day of Peace is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.’’ (NAN)