Former governorship candidate Erelu Elebute Halle has called for a return to strong family values and patience among young Nigerians, while backing Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s demand for an independent investigation into the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
Speaking on Adamimogo 105.1FM’s General Issues programme, Halle reacted to recent comments by Flutterwave co-founder Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, who described Nigeria’s younger generation as “a generation of influencers” rather than builders.
She agreed that many young people have become distracted by social media and the pursuit of instant success but argued that the root of the problem lies in the home.
“It all boils down to the homes we come from. Parents must begin to teach patience and values again. Government cannot raise our children for us,” she said.
According to Halle, many young Nigerians are now competing on social media instead of focusing on personal growth and long-term achievements.
“They are running social media races. They are chasing fake lifestyles instead of running their own race,” she said.
She lamented what she described as the collapse of the nation’s value system, noting that some parents no longer question the source of their children’s sudden wealth.
“Today, you see a 15 or 16-year-old buying a car, and the parents do not ask where the money came from. The value system has failed.”
Halle urged parents to instil discipline, hard work and contentment in their children, insisting that patience and family values remain the foundation for national development.
She also encouraged Nigerians to become more self-reliant by embracing agriculture and small-scale food production instead of depending solely on government support.
“Everybody wants government to provide everything. Even if you have a small space behind your house, plant vegetables, pepper or maize. We must stop depending entirely on political money,” she advised.
On the recent rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State after 56 days in captivity, Halle congratulated both the Federal Government and Governor Seyi Makinde for securing the victims’ freedom while extending condolences to families of those who lost their lives during the incident.
She defended Makinde’s call for a United Nations-backed investigation into the abduction, dismissing criticisms that the request was politically motivated.
“There is nothing wrong with asking for an independent inquiry. If you don’t get to the root of what happened, how do you prevent it from happening again? We should not politicise people’s lives,” she stated.
Commenting on the ongoing investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council scandal involving Adeniyi Adeyemi, Halle urged authorities to conduct a fair and transparent investigation while avoiding actions that could prejudice the case.
“Government should do its investigation before putting everything on social media. Let the truth come out, but let justice also be fair,” she said.
