The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday shared a vital lesson he lent about life when he was locked up in prison for over three years.
According to President Muhammadu Buhari, he was locked up after leading the country and while incarcerated, he learnt that one’s net worth is what he/she has in the head and not what has been acquired in life.
This, he said is a principle he has gone ahead to instil in his children, adding that education is the best legacy he is leaving for his children as they already know he is not leaving anything for them to inherit.
Bellnews Online reports Muhammadu Buhari made the submission in Daura, Katsina State when he paid a Sallah homage to the Emir of Daura, Dr Faruk Umar Faruk at his Palace and stressed the importance of training and educating children on the right values.
A statement on the visit by the president’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu quoted him to have implored parents to inculcate right values in children, including deep fear of God, respect for constituted authorities and living a purposeful life through continuous education.
The President also 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.
Emphasizing that 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, Buhari said: “I was locked up for more than three years, after leading the country.
At that point, I realized and I told my children that your net worth is what is in your head, not what you have acquired in life.
“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.
“Whoever does not have a good sense of history will easily make mistakes.
“We should ensure the children get 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 more 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,” the President noted.
President Buhari promised the Emir that he will be more regular in visits, preparatory to the handing over in May, 2023, noting that his prolonged absence is due to the demands of work.
“This is the longest I have been away from home. Infact, 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.
President Buhari said all Nigerians must make sacrifices to move the country forward, especially the public servants, calling for more selflessness and inclusion.
“At the end, it is only God that can reward your efforts, not man,” he said.