[dropcap]I[/dropcap] congratulate all our dear children and parents whom God, in His infinite mercies, has granted the privilege to witness this day. Children’s Day should be a very special day for all parents and all children. It is a great day for parents to once again reflect on how our society can be made better to facilitate the blooming of our children’s greatest capacities.
Great children of Nigeria, as a father, I firmly believe that in our time, well thought out vision can transform our country and make your future beautiful and pleasant, it is reason I will be presenting myself and running for the office of president in 2019. A fundamental pillar of my plans is massive investment in education towards ensuring that coming generations have a secure future and a good place to stand in the global village.
Children spread joy and happiness in every season; each day must see us renewing our commitment towards fostering a better environment for the blossoming of their God-given potentials.
While we savour the joy of this day, let us spare a moment to think of the unimaginable stress and horrors that children face in various parts of Nigeria today where poverty, insecurity and poor governance are leaving horrific psychological scars.
Our prayers and thoughts must go to Leah Sharibu, numerous children who cannot go to school because of unsafe and insecure environment, children struggling against autism, congenital heart defects and other health challenges.
Any statement about Children’s Day will not be complete without noting the irreplaceable role of mothers, a mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep· soundly in them – that is why the genuine empowerment of women must be part of our priorities because they nurture our future leaders.
I agree with JF Kennedy’s statement that children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future; no one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child, so the goal of true education should be to unlock that treasure in millions of young souls.
Let us all sustain the hope that in our time, Nigeria can become truly great and that our children will live to see a much better time than ours. Greatness is within our reach; I have a dream that our little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the narrow considerations of creed, economic background or primordial sentiments.
Dear children of Nigeria, childhood means fun unlimited, it means bounteous shower of love and care, in it is an entire realm of imagination about the joy of growing up to be all you can be.
On this Children’s Day, let us celebrate the joys of childhood and have a fantastic time together; may there be enduring love and laughter on every Nigerian child’s face.
Happy Children’s Day! #ChildrensDay
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of Nigeria and a three-time presidential aspirant.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
