A cleric has called on the Nigerian government and its leaders at all levels to take decisive actions to eradicate poverty, which he believes has severely affected the younger generation in the country.
The presiding pastor of the Light Impact Church, Pastor Taiwo Armstrong Bello made this call during a Christmas Fun Fair for children organised by his wife’s charity foundation, Banke Bello Ministry. The event was held at the church premises in Orita-Challenge, Ibadan, Oyo State, over the past weekend.
He added that the younger generations, especially the children should fear God and shun all the vices of the society, and be responsible to themselves and their parents, as well as be a good ambassador to their country.
Pastor Bello emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive and effective measures to lift Nigerians, particularly the youth, out of poverty, which he sees as an obstacle to their future and overall development.
His statement reflected growing concerns among many Nigerian leaders, both religious and secular, about the country’s social and economic challenges.
“The whole essence of living on earth is to fear God. When you fear God, you will not be involved in any ungodly act. So, I humbly advise the children to fear and love God. The thing we see children do these days shows the level of moral decadence in society and this is so worrisome.
“The government should do more in its core responsibility to make Nigeria a better place. Parents should also not relax in installing discipline and train their children in the right way, and the church should not relent in bringing sanctity on all children and Nigerians at large,” he added.
The wife of the cleric and founder of the foundation, Pastor (Mrs) Banke Bello, t expressed her joy and fulfilment in providing yet another opportunity to bring happiness to children, despite the challenging circumstances in the country.
“Children are the source of light, hope, and renewal for any nation. That is why we focus on them; if we support them from an early age, our future will be bright. This is why we celebrate them every year and nurture them by the teachings of the Lord.”
“We also appreciate everyone who partnered with us to make this year’s event a success and to show love to the kids at Christmas. We are confident that all the kids enjoyed themselves to the fullest and I pray that they will be greater in life, in Jesus’ name,” she added.
“I never had this experience as a child because I lost my father, So, I want to create an opportunity for children who are in the same shoes to be happy during the yuletide season. This year we hosted 550 children due to crowd control.
“The ministry focuses on these things: We cater for kids at Christmas, We provide for the homeless children, and we give academic support. We have also appreciated the support of CPIM and the partnership has been life-impacting.
A representative of one of the partners of the event, Care Possibilities International Ministries (CPIM Africa), Mrs Atuma Esther, noted that the NGO was glad to collaborate with the church to show love to the children, just as she said that the organisation was committed to support the younger generation academically always.
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