Leaders flaunting wealth amidst poverty, leading youths to crime — Anglican primate

The Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, Most Reverend Dr Henry Ndukuba has cautioned leaders to desist from flaunting their wealth amidst growing hunger as it leads youth to crime and occultic activities just to make money.

Speaking at the 2024 Joshua Generation International Youth Conference (JGIYC), Archbishop Ndukuba emphasized the need for Nigerian youth to rediscover themselves which he said is a step towards nation building.

Ndukuba further stated that the leaders in the country including the political, religious and traditional rulers made mistakes in the past which is currently haunting the country.

“We as a nation have made mistakes in the past, both the political, the religious and the traditional leaders, we have not done what is proper or right, and the way some of our leaders have thrown themselves about and actually paraded wealth and pomposity in the midst of poverty and hopelessness have really made some of the young people to think that if they have to make it, it may not be the right way, maybe the other way, and that is why you have seen increase in crime, occultic practices and other things that are happening around us that are evil, that is why you see people getting into activities that are anti-society.

“So, we want to get back to the real foundation that can build a community and society, and for that purpose, there is a need for us to help the young people to rediscover who they are, who God has made them to be and what God says they are in his word.

“Both Government and parents have great roles to play, the home is important but the way we run our affairs in public space is also very important,” the Anglican Primate said.

He said the Conference with the theme, ‘My Identity’ is targeted at encouraging the youth to rediscover who they are because one’s identity has a way of driving one’s understanding of both himself, his environment and his purpose for living.

“We want to thank God, with what we are seeing, even in this ground, in spite of the challenges of our time both the economy, security and otherwise, you can see that we have more than 22,000 youth physically present, and we are thanking God that the Christian youth in this nation have not given up concerning this nation, we should not give up hope in the fact that God has a plan and purpose for our nation Nigeria.

“If we can find our foundation which is Christ Jesus, we have to build on Him and that is what we want to do, building spiritual houses, building human lives, building agents of transformation and change on a sure foundation that can never sink and that is the reason why we have gathered.

“Therefore, what we are seeing is a sign of hope and we want to encourage young people of our nation not to give up, let them hold onto the Lord, there is still much more that God wants to do in and through them.

“That is the message, but that has to be anchored on believing in God and His words, that is why we are here for this week,” Primate Ndukuba noted.

The Anchor Bishop of JGIYC, Right Reverend Aloysius Agbo said the theme of the Conference ‘My Identity’ is apt considering the rate at which youth are selling birth right and risking their future just to acquire transient and illusive wealth.

“It is a call for the youth to remember that there is a mark on them which has set them apart for God, and which they cannot afford to compromise,” Bishop Agbo stated.

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