By Okechukwu Onuegbu
A legal luminary and scholar, Dr Akachukwu Maduakolam, on Thursday, advocated for guidance, counselling and mentoring as most suitable ways of training boy-child for development and societal growth.
According to Maduakolam, male children trained through mentorship and guidance would imbibed the necessary moral values as well as gain deeper knowledge and skills to survive and drive societal development.
He made the call at Awka, Anambra State capital during a one day programme tagged ‘Boys today, Great men tomorrow,’ an event organised by Anambra State Civic and Social Reformation Office (ANCISRO) in collaboration with E-KEEPAS Enterprise with a view to celebrate the 2025 international day of the boy child.
Maduakolam also urged youth based organisations, community leaders, industrialists, captain of industries, technocrats and other successful individuals to engage in mentoring male children through experience sharing and other necessary programmes.
He lamented that societal influence, family pressures, cultural beliefs and social media were having some negative impacts on males children even as he urged parents to find better ways of training and checkmating their children rather than adopting some obsolete traditional practices.
Contributing, the discussants, including the Executive Assistant to governor Soludo, Hon. Hope Okoye; President General, Asatu Youth, Hon. Ken Okoli; and State Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Moses Ezedebego represented by Apostle Ike Anthony enjoined youth to shun negative trending stories on social media as well as utilise the opportunities offered by the new media to advance their knowledge and skills for career advancement.
Also speaking, Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, said he was committed towards advancements of students and youth generally, which were among the reasons behind introduction of free education, including social orientation programme, one youth two skills and digital skills and innovation currently ongoing.
The governor, represented by the State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor urged the youth to embrace technology wisely, while striving to retain the State number position of excellence in academic examinations, intellectual and competitions across the world.
“You need to know that hardwork pays. Do not be envious of people especially the fraudsters. Don’t take them as your modal. There are so much opportunities you can explore to develop yourselves in this administration. Once you are disciplined, focused, be persistent, you will become better person tomorrow,” he added.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Anambra State Civic and Social Reformation Office (ANCISRO), Sir Chuka Nnabuife explained that objectives of the programme was to build the moral virtues of the boys while empowering them to seek knowledge to excel in life rather than engaging on abnormal behaviours because it was trending.
