ONYEDI GABRIEL, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said insecurity will be minimal in the country if parents become more responsible in the upbringing of their children.
He said while government would continue to strive to make society better, parents must take their responsibility of nurturing good citizens more serious than ever before.
A statement by Wike’s Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said the governor spoke during the solemnisation of holy matrimony between Pearl Ile and Bobby Elechi at St Peter Anglican Church, Rumuepirikom deanery, Port Harcourt.
The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke, said he attended the wedding because the couple had distinguished themselves as responsible citizens.
He said: “We believe that if parents are responsible in the upbringing of their children, then the society will be responsible, and the responsibility of government to tackle insecurity will be minimal.”
Wike said that if the couple were members of any of the notorious militant gangs, kidnappers, gun wielding terrorists like Boko Haram, responsible citizens who graced the wedding ceremony would have stayed away.
He said: “If Bobby and his wife were not responsible children, if they had not followed the upbringing, the discipline, training given to them by their parents, I am sure you will agree with me that we won’t have gathered here”.
The governor urged the couple to ensure that their offspring imbibed the moral principles and virtues their parents inculcated in them.
The governor advised the couple to put into practice all the teachings of the church, particularly during marriage counseling. According to him, God’s word concerning marriage is very explicit in the scriptures.