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

Diezani said this while delivering a lecture at a virtual event, which was also attended by her former boss, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, on Friday.

Speaking at the event organised by the Ijaw National Development Group, Diezani stressed the need for mentorship of Ijaw youths.

The videos were posted on Twitter by blogger, Jackson Ude, who is also the publisher of Point Blank News.

The former minister 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 they have 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.”