“Yahoo Yahoo boys” now role models in Nigeria- Alison-Madueke

Former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, under President Goodluck Jonathan has come out publicly to condemned internet fraudsters or ‘Yahoo Yahoo boys’ as they are called in local parlance. He said they now reinforce negative societal behaviours and values in Nigeria.

Alison-Madueke made her remarks while delivering a lecture at a virtual event on fatherhood and Ijaw women participation in politics.

The event held on Friday, August 7, 2020, with Alison-Madueke as one of the guest speakers.

“The ones that have swag, the Yahoo Yahoo boys as my son would say; these in short, are the role models they are looking at. These are the ones that reinforce negative societal norms and values,” Alison-Madueke pontificated.

“This is a travesty of an unfolding tragedy for us. Why have I spent time talking about fatherless homes and the impact it has on our children? The truth of the matter is that an irresponsible boy tends to become an irresponsible man and it is therefore a vicious cycle. If you plant yam, you cannot harvest plantain,” she lectured.

“There are no shortcuts to working your way up the ladder of life. Progressing in life, in work and in relationship, marital or otherwise, is always dependent on consistent effort and on hard work.

“As we create more responsible young men and women, we will generate more responsible fathers, which in turn will engender a more sustainable society and build a greater nation of successful Ijaw men and women.

“And to do this, we need to go back to the fundamentals,” she added.

Alison-Madueke also commended Jonathan for the percentage of women representation in his cabinet during his spell as Nigeria’s President.

Alison-Madueke, 59, fled Nigeria for the U.K as soon as Jonathan lost the 2015 election to Muhammadu Buhari