Former Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, Diezani Alison-Madueke has decried the erosion of societal values in Nigeria and the rise of fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo boys as role models in the Nigerian society.
Diezani expressed her views as a guest lecturer at a virtual event organised by the Ijaw National Development Group, with former President, Goodluck Jonathan in attendance on Friday.
According to the former minister, the menace of Yahoo have become a travesty in the society as she stressed the need for proper mentorship of Ijaw youths.
She expressed the need for youths to work really hard, stating that there was no shortcut to success.
According to Diezani; “The ones that have swag, the Yahoo Yahoo boys as my son would say; these in short, are the role models they are looking at. These are the ones that reinforce negative societal norms and values.
“This is a travesty of an unfolding tragedy for us. Why have I spent time talking about fatherless homes and the impact it has on our children? The truth of the matter is that an irresponsible boy tends to become an irresponsible man and it is therefore a vicious cycle. If you plant yam, you cannot harvest plantain.”
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“There are no shortcuts to working your way up the ladder of life. Progressing in life, in work and relationships – marital or otherwise – is always dependent on consistent effort and hard work.
“As we create more responsible young men, we will generate more responsible fathers which will in turn engender a more sustainable society and build a greater nation of successful Ijaw men and women.”
The former minister blamed the collapse of societal values on weak family bonds caused by broken homes. She said although some children raised by single parents turn out to be useful citizens of the society, the phenomenon of single parenting should not be the societal norm in Nigeria.
Diezani Alison-Madueke is on the list of wanted persons by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the alleged misappropriation of millions of dollars in oil revenue during her time as Minister of Petroleum resources.