Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that enduring marriages are built on character, forgiveness and humility rather than wealth or physical beauty, urging couples to embrace values that can withstand life’s challenges.
Shettima stated this on Saturday at the wedding reception of Aishatu Buratai, daughter of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), and Umar Zoru, held at Tukur & Tukur Farm along the Abuja-Keffi Road in Nasarawa State.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Vice President described marriage as a sacred institution founded on faith, responsibility and mutual commitment, noting that patience, honesty and mercy are essential virtues for a successful home.
“Our faith describes marriage as half of religion. It is at home that patience, honesty and mercy are tested daily, far from the applause of strangers,” Shettima said.
He stressed that families remain the bedrock of every thriving society and called on parents to intentionally pass on values such as integrity, discipline, compassion and responsibility to future generations.
The Vice President warned against placing greater emphasis on material success and public recognition than on moral values, saying the true strength of any family lies in the character it cultivates.
“The truest measure of a home is the value it transfers quietly from one generation to the next, a value that no lawyer can draft into a will and no hardship can erase,” he said.
Shettima further advised the newlyweds to build their marriage on forgiveness, patience, friendship and humility, noting that lasting relationships require commitment beyond affection.
“Affection alone cannot sustain a home. Beauty will change and fortunes may rise and fall. But character is what keeps two people standing beside each other when life tests their convictions,” he added.
He congratulated the couple and prayed for Allah’s blessings upon their union, while commending both families for their contributions to national service and the values they uphold.
The colourful reception attracted family members, friends, traditional rulers, senior military officers, government officials and other dignitaries, with prayers, cultural displays, goodwill messages and musical performances marking the celebration, NAN reported.
