A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has lamented that societal values have degenerated to the extent that online fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, have become role models in the Nigerian society.

The former minister, who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for alleged fraud running into billions of naira said this while delivering a lecture at a virtual event, on Friday.

Speaking at the event organised by the Ijaw National Development Group, which was also attended by her former boss, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Diezani stressed the need for mentorship of young people, saying only hard work could guarantee success.

In a video posted on Twitter by Jackson Ude, publisher of Point Blank News, Diezani said, “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.”

“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 cocoyam, you cannot harvest plantain.”