Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that despites the challenges facing the country, he has seen Nigerian children whose conducts keep rekindling his hope that the nation has a brighter future.
But he urged parents to continually pay attention to their children’s dressing and to caution them against indecent exposure of sensitive parts of their bodies.
The elder statesman, who expressed appreciation to some parents for sending their children and wards to school to obtain quality education, noted that such acquisition of knowledge would not be complete until the children get the rudiments of decent dressing and good manners.
According to him, with what he has seen some of the children doing, there is hope that Nigeria will be better tomorrow.
Obasanjo said these at the graduation ceremony/awards presentation of 96 students of Lyceum Foundation Group of Schools at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library at the weekend in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The theme of this year’s graduation ceremony, which was also the school’s 10th year anniversary is: Portrait of An Outstanding School.
The former President, who was represented by his wife, Mrs. Bola Obasanjo, expressed worry over the way some youths – both boys and girls – bare their cleavages and sag their trousers to expose the boxers or pants underneath.
“I learnt something again during the presentation. You could see the all the children, especially those ones dancing, raising their legs up. They sewed the uniform material well. You can see the decency in what they are wearing, which is protecting the private parts.
“Both men and women, please, I want us to learn from this. It looks so minute that all these ones don’t matter a lot.
“When our children are dressing in the house, when they wear something showing their bodies, call them back. Or when they wear something showing their cleavages, please, don’t let them go out. Or when we see our boys sagging, please, call them back.
“We have learnt a lot from Lyceum School. What they did in their presentation, they did a lot, and God will continue to help us.”
“At times, you see young girls always …attracting unnecessary things to themselves. And you see some wayward ideas coming in. By the special grace of God, that one won’t come to our children. This is because you can see what they are doing is showing that Nigeria will be better,” he said.
The former President hailed the management of the school and its founders, Mr. Yinka Ola-Williams and Mrs. Maureen Ola- Williams, for making sure the children dressed decently during their performances.
Also, Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, urged the graduands to prepare themselves well for the next phase of learning and have a resilient spirit for hard work.
Arigbabu, who was represented by the Zonal Education Officer for Abeokuta South Local Government Area, Mr. Temitope Lasile, urged the school management to continue to set standard for the students and sustain the “portrait of an outstanding school” in the state.
Head of School, Mrs. Maureen, said the school would not relent in giving its best for the pupils and students to excel.