Vice chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Prof Andy Egwunyenga, has charged parents and guardians to instil strong family values in their children and wards during their formative years.
The vice chancellor made this statement in Abraka during the university’s 7th Valedictory Lecture titled: “Family Values: Redeeming the Lost Virtues for Future Generations,” delivered by Prof Diana Arubayi.
The lecture was part of the celebrations marking her 70th birthday and retirement from Delta State University, Abraka, following 34 years of dedicated service as a lecturer.
Prof Egwunyenga thanked the valedictory lecturer for drawing attention to a very crucial issue that is often ignored to the detriment of society and the future generation, believing that it would help them grow into virtuous adults who can uphold and pass on these values to future generations.
He pointed out that students bring their different family values to the university on admission which influence them as they acculturate.
He noted that while professors may officially retire, the knowledge they have generated through research and shared through their lectures would continue to benefit the university community and humanity at large.
In the lecture, Arubayi highlighted that the family, the foundational unit of society, has evolved in form and meaning across generations.
Arubayi, a professor of Home Economics, expressed concern over the current state of family life, noting that children are increasingly displaying chaotic behaviours that signal a troubling and degenerative shift in societal values.
She defined family values as the principles and behavioural standards handed down through generations that shape individual character and foster strong, healthy families.
She further described virtues as the traits, capacities, dispositions, habits and qualities that reflect moral integrity.
Arubayi explained that family values have been profoundly shaped by modern developments, which have encouraged greater individualism, mobility and reliance on technology.
This shift, she noted, has resulted in more flexible and egalitarian family structures, urging families to nurture virtues such as honesty, obedience, respect, kindness, hard work, love, open communication, understanding, responsibility, accountability and humility in their wards.
She emphasized that such qualities are essential pillars of family values that the contemporary society must preserve and pass on to future generations.
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