Wife of Rivers State Governor, Hon. Justice Suzzette Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, has charged parents to make their homes virile platforms that mould the right attitude in their children.
Such right attitude, she noted, are built upon tenable values and manners, which structure their personality type so that they can influence situations and other people positively as they contribute their quota to make society better.
Justice Nyesom-Wike gave the charge, last Sunday, when she visited the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) to felicitate with the baby boy born on Christmas day.
The baby boy, delivered at 9.30am, is born to the family of Dr. and Mrs Sotonye Asikimabo-ofori, who hail from Okrika.
She also shared gifts to other children and parents in the medical ward that was visited.
The wife of the governor said the home was the first social platform available to every child.
She urged parents to deliberately nurture their children to become self-respecting, considerate of others and well mannered.
“Parents are every child’s first teachers. You don’t need to be an educated parent to pass on worthy values.
“You just need to have a mind to impart. Be conscientious, be sensitive. Be somebody that thinks about others. Teaching and learning good manners is very easy.
“Children draw their strength from their parents. They learn values, and manners from home. So, we learn how to relate with people.
“Home is the first social platform every child has. It will teach you how to talk to people.”
Speaking further, Justice Nyesom-Wike harped on the need for everybody to ensure that they are learning what would help them in their personal life, which would better the larger society.
She pointed out that, often, people missed the opportunity to learn moral, and other social values in their various homes, but that should not mean they should become social misfits.
The wife of the governor said what such person should do was to be open minded so that he or she can learn good values from what was seen happening around and from other people.
“If you miss it (learning) there (home), you can always learn along the way. But home is where it starts.
“So, whatever you are not taught at home, as you go around and you meet other people, learn from them. Learning is a continuous thing. It never ends.
“Every day is new opportunity to learn something new. As far as you have breathe; you will learn something that is different every day.”
Justice Nyesom-Wike emphasised that, “We learn as we meet people, relate with other people. We learn new things and that should add to our character.All you need to do is put yourself in other person’s shoes.”
Speaking on Christmas, Justice Nyesom-Wike admonished Christians not to forget the essence of the season, which is Jesus Christ, given as gift to humanity to save it from sin.
She remarked that with Christmas, God has shown mercy on mankind by sending his only begotten Son to live and be killed by men in fulfilment of scriptures, so that the redemptive plan will be actualised.
“We should not forget the essence of Christmas. Yes, we celebrate it; we eat and drink but that is not the beginning and end of Christmas.
“The whole reason of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. That is because God chose to show us mercy, to salvage us by giving us his only Son on to come and live amongst men and be killed by men, to save us from sin. We should never forget that it is about salvation.”
In his remarks, Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Friday Aaron, who conducted the wife of the governor to the Christmas baby, thanked her for visiting to share in the joy of the parents and the hospital community.
He described the visit as an honour done to both the new born baby boy, the parents and the entire hospital community.
Aaron particularly noted that even if it is a traditional visit, Justice Nyesom-Wike offered a peculiar message on salvation, which is the essence of Christmas, and it serves to encourage everybody.