Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has urged men to love and honour women, with a reminder to the menfolk that women are not subordinate to them but created equal to them.
This was even as he stressed that men have important roles to play in the society, and pointed out that it is not the ability to have a child that makes a man a father.
The vice president stated this when he spoke with State House Correspondents, after celebrating this year’s Father’s Day at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja.
Osinbajo was joined at the service by his mother, Mrs. Olubisi Osinbajo, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha and others.
Osinbajo: said: “I think the responsibility of the father is incredible, indeed, and, I think what is most important is to teach our men, young men growing up that they must honour women, not just their wives.
“Of course, you must honour and love your wives, but I think that it is very important that we honour women.
“We don’t treat them as subordinate to us; they are created equal to men. But most importantly, we must honour them and recognise their role as partners, not just in families but in society as well.”
Speaking more on the importance of men’s role, Osinbajo said men have important roles to play in the society, and pointed out that it is not the ability to have a child that makes a man father. It is not the ability to father a child, the ability to have a child that makes you a father; it is the courage to bring up one, ability to raise one. That’s what really makes you a father and I think the responsibilities of fatherhood are so many, whether one is a biological father or whether you are one who wants to take care of other children. I think that all of us, as men, have a role to play in the life of so many, not just our biological children but so many of them who have no fathers, even to some who have fathers to who we have responsibility to set example to lead exemplary life, to bring them up as scripture says in the way of the Lord.”
Also, Omo-Agege, who earlier took the First Reading of the service, taken from Malachi 1:3-6, said: “It is not what we tell our children, but the lives we lead and they see us lead” that is important in the life of fathers.
He said the exemplary lives men live that would help in the formative years of children and make them responsible members of society.
On his part, Mustapha, who had earlier taken the Second Reading of the service, from Exodus 17:8-16, said Father’s Day was not about the celebration but a reminder of the role men have to play in their families as physical and spiritual head.
“It’s not about the celebration; I think it’s a constant reminder about our responsibilities as fathers. We are reminded of the fact that, first, we are the priests of our homes, so, we ought to pray for our families. And, when you have children that are aware that, as a father, you are praying for them, the chances of their drifting will not be there because they know that the eyes of their father are constantly on them. Constantly, you are reminding God that he has entrusted you with this responsibility and you ought to live up to the responsibility.”