President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, said that he would leave nothing for his children to inherit.
He therefore told them that they must acquire the necessary education to succeed on their own.
He made the disclosure in Daura, Katsina State, where he implored parents to inculcate the right values in children, including deep fear of God, respect for constituted authorities and living a purposeful life through continuous education.
According to a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), the President charged the youth to seek education, not for government jobs which are unavailable but to arm themselves with skill and ability to fight poverty and to meet the needs of the 21st Century.
Buhari, who was at the Emir of Daura’s Palace for the Sallah homage, said more time should be given to the coaching of future leaders, with basic knowledge of moral values, as the fast-changing world, driven by new technology, would be more competitive and demanding.
He added: “I was locked up for more than three years, after leading the country. At that point, I realised and I told my children that your net worth is what is in your head, not what you have acquired in life.
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“My focus has always been on training the children to be relevant wherever they find themselves. I told my children, particularly the girls, that they can only get married after getting a first degree.
“They already know that I am not leaving anything for anyone to inherit. My greatest legacy to the children is to ensure they are properly educated.”
The President noted that the younger children should be guided and taught history, as they would find it hard to be patriotic, responsible and respectful, without a thorough understanding of their backgrounds.
Speaking further, he said: “Whoever does not have a good sense of history will easily make mistakes.
“We should ensure the children get the proper education. The knowledge they acquire should not be towards getting government jobs. We don’t have jobs in government anymore. With technology, governments are becoming smaller, nimble and efficient.
“Emphasis should now be on skills acquisition and competence in creation and deployment of technology. During the COVID-19, we asked all level 12 downward to stay at home, and surprisingly the systems worked effectively.”
President Buhari told the Emir of Daura, Dr Faruk Umar Faruk, that he will be more regular in visits, preparatory to the handing over in May 2023, adding that the prolonged absence was due to the demands of his office.
“This is the longest I have been away from home. In fact, the Emir took to the court of public opinion at the prayer ground, when he openly told everyone that I had not visited Daura for close to a year,” he added.
Buhari said all Nigerians must make sacrifices to move the country forward, especially the public servants, calling for more selflessness and inclusion, adding “at the end, it is only God that can reward your efforts, not man,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Aminu Bello Masari listed the achievements of the President including social security, which was created to cater for the poor, and ensure that they receive some money at the end of every month.