Catholic bishops seek positioning of youths for leadership roles

Some Catholic bishops have advocated a deliberate positioning of youths for leadership to enable them contribute to the positive development in the country, saying the current economic situation of the country has thrown a lot of challenges on them.

At a two-day international youth conference attended by over 200 women and young people drawn from different parts of the country, the clerics said the economic situation has seriously challenged values and cultures, as well as the contributions of youths to national development.

The conference, organised by the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with Catholic Women Organisation Nigeria (CWON), which ended in Enugu, yesterday, had the theme, ‘Responding to the Challenges of Youth, Family and Society; The Millennial’s Response.’

Contributing to the theme, Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, noted that youths needed role models to be able to face the challenges of the future effectively with a dominating mentality, adding that the church and parents had a lot to do in the role modeling aspect of youths, especially in being shining examples and presenting them with heroic lives of saints who were of the same age with them.

He said: “This will definitely be an invaluable source of inspiration and encouragement to them. Some of the saints were martyred because they refused to bow to pressure of sex, money, worldly glories, idolatry and profanation. Reading their lives helps to spur us on in our own individual journeys.

‘If on the contrary, we allow our youth to be exposed to pornography, indecent and violent movies, bad companionships and friendships, and scandalous adults, they may copy them and ruin their lives.”

Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, charged youths to realise that they are leaders of today and not tomorrow, challenging them to participate actively in community services, so that people can spot their sterling leadership qualities.

He, however, urged them to shun negative lifestyles and pastimes to redeem the time for purposeful and worthwhile ventures and enterprises, insisting: “Indecent sexual relationships or affection should be avoided, while youths must learn those community and cultural values that promote hardwork and resilience under older people.”

In an address, Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev Callistus Onaga, lauded the organisers for their vision to bring practical solutions to challenges confronting the youth.

Onaga, who was represented by the axillary Bishop of the diocese, Bishop Ernest Obodo, however, urged youths to embrace skill acquisition to defeat unemployment, which remains one of the major
challenges facing them in the country.

He also called on elders, especially parents, to check youthful exuberances among young people by telling or showing them other people, who, through hardwork and obedience, succeeded within their
environment, noting: “They must know that every responsible person must act with integrity and positive virtues to impact positively on society.”

Earlier in a welcome address, President of CWON, Mrs. Nwanneka Okolo, noted that the race is on over who captures the souls of the youth,” since present socio-economic and political developments are throwing a lot of challenges on them.

She listed the challenges of youths to include unemployment, drug abuse, indulgence in violence, wrong sexual affection, excessive leisure, Internet scamming and engaging in misinformation etc, saying: “our youths are our treasure; they are our today and tomorrow put together.”