Create jobs for youths to curb drug abuse, Cleric urges leaders

The Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos (Anglican Communion) has urged the country’s leaders to do more by creating employment for the youth, as they are the future leaders.

Rt. Rev. Humphrey Olumakaiye, said this at an outing with the Bishop entitled “Say No to Drug Abuse’’ at the Church of Resurrection, 1004 Flats, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The cleric also urged wealthy Nigerians to help empower the youth, adding that government would not do it alone.

“There is need for us to be passionate about youth development, because we believe that many of the youths are neglected, and are not brought up properly.

“We believe that oil, gas and agriculture are not the greatest resources of a nation, but the youth are the greatest resource of the development of a great nation.

“We believe that they are the future of our great nation in actual fact, they are the posterity, they are the hope of our future in this country.

“We believe that it will be proper for us to have a holistic approach to youth  development; if we do that, we are actually building great leaders.

“That is why we are embarking on this campaign because we know that drugs can kill their vision and destroy their future,’’ he said.

He urged parents to teach their wards the path of righteousness, saying that without the youth, there was no nation.

“The biggest room is the room for improvement, and we can do more by placing them on the path of righteousness, honesty, dignity of labour.

“Above all, we need to make sure that they are empowered and we should build them up spiritually, without them we don’t have a nation.

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“They are energetic, they are charismatic, and I believe they have a bright future and that is what we should do as a church,’’ he added.

Speaking also, wife of the Bishop, Professor Motunrayo Olumakaiye, charged parents to always be there for their children rather than leaving them to caregivers.

“The youth are the future of a nation, they are very restless; they want to explore themselves and if they are not positively engaged, certainly the devil will engage them.

“We want to let the youth know that God has a very bright future for them; it’s a call to our parents to be more vigilant towards their children.

“The internet should be used positively, parents should be conscious of what their children are doing.

“Some do not even know what their children are passing through emotionally, psychologically, academically.