LOKOJA – Pastor David Popoola, the State Pastor of Living Faith Church, Lokoja, on Sunday urged parents and guardians to spend adequate and quality time with their wards.
Popoola gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja, on the sidelines of this year’s celebration of International Day of Families.
He said that parents must create quality time for their children, spouses and relatives in order to keep peaceful families and raise godly children.
The pastor said that the source of family was marriage, and marriage as an institution came into existence through God’s divine agenda and goodwill towards men.
Quoting from Genesis 1 verses 26 and 27 in the Bible, he said: “God said, let us make man in our own image after our likeness.
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He them; male and female created He them, and God blessed them”.
The cleric said that the purpose of God for the establishment of family includes companionship and procreation, among other things.
Popoola urged all wives, irrespective of career status or achievements, to honour and submit to their husbands, and likewise husbands to love their wives as commanded by God.
“Parents and guardians must have quality time for their wards, to avoid getting them exposed to all forms of vices and unruly behaviour in the society.
“Good character is a virtue that we must all possess and share, starting from our families to the communities, local governments, state and national level.
“It is our collective responsibility as individuals, parents, guardians and the nation as a whole, to instil discipline and good virtues in our wards to have a peaceful nation.
“It takes healthy families to have a peaceful and healthy nation for a sustainable future,” he said.
The cleric called on all Nigerians, irrespective of differences, to uphold the hands of Nigerian leaders in prayers for them to succeed in building the nation of our dream.
The International Day of Families was initiated by the United Nations Programme on the Family and is celebrated globally every May 15.
The theme for 2016, the 22nd anniversary of the day is “Families, healthy lives and sustainable future”.
It recognises and stresses the importance of having healthy and happy relationships with relatives (NAN)
Int’l Day of Families: Spend quality time with your children, cleric urges parents
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