Crime

Rev. Fr. John Oni, Associate Priest, Saints Timothy and Titus Catholic Church, Isheri-Osun, Lagos, says criminality is not inherited but acquired.The priest also said that those indulging in criminal activities in the country were not born criminals but acquired the evil habit as a result of failure of the families where they came from.He urged Nigerians to uphold societal values among members of their families.Oni said this during his sermon on Sunday to commemorate the solemnity of the Holy Family (the feast of the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus), in Lagos.He said change in the nation’s value system would be highly beneficial to the growth of the communities and the country at large.According to him, whatever a state or country turns out to be is a reflection of the kind of families that constitute that state or country.”The act of governance starts from individual families, because the men and women who will eventually become president, governors, legislators and commissioners as well as local government chairmen were first members of individual families.”Therefore, the way and manner we handle or operate our families is how our state and our country will be.”People who are armed robbers, kidnappers and suicide bombers today come from individual families. When those children are born, everybody rejoiced with their families.”As parents, let’s us emulate the model and Holy family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus by paying attention to our children and moulding them to become responsible adults.”If we get the home front right, all will be well for our communities and for our nation Nigeria,” he said.