From Emmanuel Uzor, Abakaliki
As the world marked International Fathers Day yesterday, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has advised fathers to be more committed to their responsibility of raising a generation that would honour and obey God.
Governor Umahi, in his goodwill message to all fathers, reminded them of their biblical responsibilities, which he said are divine obligations and held all fathers accountable to their children’s behaviour.
He said the family, as the nucleus of the society, must be purged of all vices by good parenting. He added that “since fathers are pillars on which every family rests on, there is need to have a sound and healthy family.”
“In our clime, we say fathers are the pillars, (Ide ji uno) which means as fathers, we have more responsibilities than just to father children. We have to train our children to obey God and honour Him through their behaviours. We are going to account for everything God used to bless us as fathers, especially our children. In the society where good moral upbringing is fast eroding and our children’s value system at the verge of cataclysmic vortex of doom, only fathers can salvage the situation by bringing to bear, the fear and respect they command to browbeat and train our children to follow the path of honour and change the society.”
Governor Umahi also disclosed that his administration has taken bold steps towards inculcating in the younger generation, the values and norms which he lamented were fast eroding by reintroducing moral instruction in all government and private owned schools across the state.