A member of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Mr. Olesegun Odebunmi has said that many Nigerians no longer have respect for elders and parents and that pursuant of materialism is on the increase.

This came as he said that negative values people have imbibed in the past decades have made them look at individual goods than public purpose saying ‘now, it is scratch my back and I scratch yours.’

Odebunmi who is also the Chairman of House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values said these at the launch of a book by Mr. Tajudeen Toyin-Oke on Thursday.

Describing the book title titled “The Ethical Dilemma” with the rider ‘Charting a bold and new path for Ethics and Values in Nigeria’  he said the book articulately research on issues of ethics and values in Nigeria.

Odebunmi, said: “The order of the day now is lack of respect for elders and parents, pursuant of materialism. Now, it is scratch my back and I scratch yours.

“This is very bad and thus there is the need for reorientation. The National Assembly has passed the Bill on the establishment of a Commission for Ethics and Values since the eighth assembly, and I hope soon it would become a law,” he said.

Odebunmi was represented by his Special Assistant Abdul Rauf.

Mr Tajudeen Toyin-Oke, an accountant has called on the Federal Government and citizens to put more efforts on ethics and value reorientation to curb corruption and insecurity in the country.

Toyin-Oke, an author, said: “The 189 pages book looked at the question of where are we ethically, where we use to be in the 1960s and where we are today.

“Once upon a time, a market woman can leave what she is selling by the road side and go and pray and come back after some hours, and her goods would still be in order.

“Successive governments over the years have introduced policies, programmes and agencies that would reorient us on ethics and values that would help shape our attitude and approach to nationalism.

“The essence of the book is to advocate for institutionalise Agency that would be in charge of ethics and values so that the citizens can be reoriented and this will help curb corruption and criminality in our society,” he said.

Toyin-Oke who is currently the Managing Director of Baltimore Tax and Financial Consult in the United States said he was moved to write the book after he came back from America and observed non compliance to traffic light and other laws.

At the launch, Dr. Charlse Mensah said citizens were quick to blame the government without thinking of what they could contribute to the development of the country.

Quit Notice: Northern Governors, elders, meet to resolve issues

“Nigerians will obey rules, regulations, and laws when they are in a foreign land, but once they come back home, from the Airport, they will disrespect orders and rules in Nigeria. Common COVID-19 regulations at Airport, they would not comply.

” We need to think of how we can contribute to the solution of solving challenges facing the country. We need to imbibe positive ethics and values to make the country good for all.

“We need to be patriotic in our words, thoughts, and actions in everything we do,” Mensah stressed.

Speaking, retired Col. Ademola Lawal commended Toyin-Oke for taking such a bold step in writing the book.
Lawal said with the high rate of indiscipline in the country, the country needed to installed positive ethics and values in its citizens.

“If people can read the book, it would go a long way to impact on their lives, workplace, work ethics and all that”.

The event brought together stakeholders, family, and friends of the author both physically and virtually.