By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
The Ashraaf Islamic Foundation has called for effective parenting and good care of orphans and vulnerable children to have a crime-free society that everyone would be happy to live in.
The Founder and Chairman of the Foundation, Dr Sharafudeen Aliagan, made the call at the 7th Annual Maolidu Nnabiyy lecture series 2024 (1446AH) on Saturday in Abuja.
The theme of the lecture was “Parenting and Child Education in Nigeria: Appraising the Plight of Orphans and Vulnerable Children”.
Aliagan explained that what informed the theme of the event was the happenings in country and the world in general that has to do with parents and the education of their children and those of orphans and vulnerable children.
“If you observed the theme, we are trying to appraise the responsibility of parents, children’s education and education and care of orphans and vulnerable children.
“If we are able to achieve all these, then definitely, criminality and nuisances will be reduced in Nigeria and everyone will live up to expectation, live responsibly and be law abiding citizens in the country.
“We know that the Insurgents, Kidnappers and Bandits we have today are children from a particular parents.
“If their parents trained them well, they would not have grown to become nuisances in the society and also if the vulnerable children are not taken care of, they would become problem to the society.
“Therefore, there is need for parents to ensure that the education of their children is not played with. Also as Muslim, we are obligated to take care of orphans and vulnerable children in the society,” Aliagan said.
He stressed that Allah has sent him to serve humanity, adding any person that attend the Ashraaf’s Maolid Nabiyy will go back loaded with the words of Allah, lessons and teaching of the Holy Prophet Mohammed ( peace be upon him).
Similarly, Dr Musa Olaofe, the Chief Missioner of Abuja Branch of Ansa-Ud-Deen said all fingers are not equal in the society.
“It is our duty as Muslims to take care of the orphans and vulnerable children in the society, because, we need to allow them to enjoy what Allah has blessed us with.
“It is good to bring them closer. They can become anything tomorrow. Learn to call them ‘my sons and daughters’. We have seen orphans who became successful in life.
“If we don’t take care of them, how can they become successful in the future. There is need to take care of them in terms of education, shelter, feeding and healthcare, ” Olaofe said.
In same vein, Dr Muhammad Idris, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education noted that Muslims are meant to address challenges in the society.
According to him, “we are created to serve humanity. The Foundation invited people to remember their roles as Muslims and to also take lessons from times and life of Prtophet Mohammed.
Idris also called on Nigerians to pray for the government and political leaders.
“Stop criticism and condemnation of the government. Such will not yield any positive result. Instead, let us pray for the government, especially now that we have a government that is politically willing to address the challenges in Nigeria.
“Let us give the government the opportunity to see us as obedient citizens, so that it will also have mercy on us,”Idris said.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event attracted stakeholders and other religious leaders from other faith. (NAN)