Jaji, Kaduna State (Nigeria): At the launch of Exercise Haske Biyu 2025 in Kaduna, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu declared that the erosion of family values is a major driver of insecurity in Nigeria.
Tinubu stated this at the opening ceremony of ‘Exercise Haske Biyu 2025’, at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College(AFCSC), Jaji, on Monday in Kaduna.
Represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, she urged parents, religious leaders, and traditional rulers to reclaim their role in shaping responsible citizens, warning that “the battle against insecurity begins at home”., warning that “the battle against insecurity begins at home”
Tinubu said she was delighted to be at the opening ceremony of the multi-agency training exercise on Internal Security and Low Conflicts (IS/LIC) operations nicknamed ‘Exercise HASKE BIYU’, of the AFCSC Jaji.
The theme of this year’s exercise was ‘Family and National Security in Nigeria’.
The first lady said,” Family is the bedrock of society, it is where we learn our core values of love, duty, respect, and sacrifice.
“Our nation is made up of millions of individual families from various tribes, ethnicities, religions and traditions, each with dreams, aspirations, and the right to live in safety and freedom.”
According to her, national security creates a stable environment where families can thrive, economies can grow, and the future can be built.
Tinubu decried,” However, these days, the family unit is no longer what it used to be.
“Many parents, while striving to make ends meet, abandon their parental responsibility, thereby leaving their children to raise themselves.
“This parental absence creates a void which often gets filled by negative influences, including bad companies, cultism, exposure to drugs, prostitution, get-rich-quick syndrome and extremist ideologies.
“This trend is detrimental and leads to catastrophic outcomes for the family, which sometimes threatens national security.”
She said religion also played a vital role in society, promoting unity, strength and moral guidance for the young ones.
” I urge religious, traditional and community leaders to continue to teach our children the correct principles of faith and reinforce positive family values,” Tinubu urged.
The first lady said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu was committed to supporting the welfare of families through various economic reforms and social interventions.
This is particularly the conditional cash transfer programme, which has been scaled up to provide N25,000 in three tranches to 15million vulnerable households across the country.
” On my part, through the Renewed Hope Initiative, we will continue to do our best to complement the government’s effort towards ensuring a better life for families.
“I thank all our officers here today for your service to our nation and dedication to a safer Nigeria.
“Let us go forward from ‘Exercise Haske Biyu’, stronger, more united, and mindful of why we serve: For Family, for love of country and for a more secure tomorrow.
“I wish you all a productive training with positive learning outcomes, “Tinubu said.
Earlier, the Commandant, AFCSC, AVM Hassan Alhaji, emphasised the critical role of family stability in ensuring national security.
Alhaji highlighted the importance of addressing societal challenges that threaten family units and, by extension, national stability.
He said, “The exercise, now in its 30th year, has been expanded to include a whole-of-nation approach, bringing together security agencies, government officials, and critical stakeholders to address pressing security challenges.”
Alhaji said that operational and tactical successes would only achieve sustainable political end states if reinforced by societal acceptance.
He highlighted the need for Nigeria to prepare for potential global conflicts and economic challenges, ramping up food production, manufacturing, and self-sufficiency.
Alhaji stated that solving security and economic misalignments was key to achieving a trillion-dollar economy, as committed to by the Commander-in-Chief.
He expressed hope that the exercise would achieve its objectives, contributing to a safer and more prosperous Nigeria.
The three-week event, scheduled to take place in Jaji Military Cantonment from September 15 to October 3, will be conducted with student officers of Senior Course 47.
