Parents and guardians have been called upon to rededicated themselves to the core duty of raising their children and wards in the fear of God with a view to creating a better society.
The call was made on Friday, by the Chairman of Ika South Local Government, Engr. Jerry Ehiwarior, at Hilltop Baptist Church, Agbor, during the Solemn Assembly and marking of “CAN Day”. It was an event organized by the Ika South Local Government Area chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Ehiwarior explained that parents had great roles to play in moulding the character of children to attain adulthood to enable them become responsible citizens who can contribute positively to the growth and development of the society.
He opined that the current upsurge in drug abuse, cultism, moral decadence and other vices was partly due to the failure of the family as the first and most important unit to nurture children in the fear and ways of God.
“Our parents, particularly the mothers, should go back to their traditional role of nurturing our children to become responsible adults .
“Parents should make efforts to bring their children closer, and ensure they follow the ways of God both in words and deeds. These young ones need all the guidance and mentorship they can get to succeed in life. Even in this era of widespread indiscipline amongst the youths, there are still a good number of them living according to the tenets of God’s word, and making their parents and the society proud,” the chairman stated.
He noted that the Church had continued to play impactful roles to ensure that the right values were inculcated in the youths, but maintained that a lot still needed to be done to arrest the growing trend of irresponsible behaviour amongst some segments of the youth population.
According to him, “government alone cannot do everything. We will continue to seek the support and partnership of both the church and other stakeholders in guiding our children on the right path.”
Ehiwarior, while appreciating the leadership of CAN and the Church in Ika South Local Government Area, for their support and prayers, equally implored them to always hold public officers accountable, as that was the sure way to enthrone integrity and good governance across board.
Earlier, in a brief exaltation, Chairman, Ika South Local Government Area of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Edgar Onyebuchie, lamented the high immorality amongst the youths, saying it had reached a crisis situation.
“A lot is happening in the lives of the younger generations. Regrettably, the church seems not to be aware of the enormity of the decay,” he said, adding that, “the Church and parents must rise up to the challenge of redirecting our youths to the values of hard work, honesty, and moral rectitude.”
Rev. Onyebuchie emphasised the need for collective actions toward reclaimimg what he termed, “lost souls among the younger generations.”
The Head of Personnel Management, HPM, Ika South Local Government, Mr. Bertrand Ojeh, at the event, urged the people, especially those who just turned 18 years and above since the last voters registration exercise, to register and collect their voters cards, stressing that, “the voters card represents every citizen’s power and inclusivity in the democratic process.”
