Youths should seek help against engaging in vices. This was the centre point of a workshop organised by The Saints Gospel Church of Christ, aka Hand of Fire.
The seminar, themed: “Say no to Cultism and other Social Vices”, held at the weekend at the church premises in Igando, a suburb of Lagos. Speakers took turns to admonish youths to flee vices which could mar their future.
The Chief Speaker, Prof. Violette Atasie, lamented that majority of youths today are battling loneliness, emotional instability, depression and confusion, conditions which she described as factors which could force one into the wrong group.
She blamed the tide on the government’s inability to channel the country’s resources effectively, and its failure to engage its youths in productive ventures. She urged the government to play its role by ensuring an enabling environment for people to prosper, and cautioned political leaders against amassing the commonwealth for their personal gain.
“People should know God, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. When you fear God, you cannot acquire wealth that your generation cannot manage. The government should put money in the appropriate place by providing good infrastructure, amenities, good roads and enabling environment for people to work and investors to come in. When these things are in place, the youths will be engaged. The primary cause of vices is unemployment which keeps them in the street,” she said.
Atasie, a professor of Chemistry at Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, however, noted that the rising rate of violence and crime, especially involving youths, was not just a Nigerian thing, but a global issue. She thus advocated that training and retraining of youths should start from the home, the local church were the youths would be encouraged to do well with themselves.
She said: “Socially, the high rate of vices is not only a Nigerian thing, but a global issue. From the religious aspect, it is one of the signs of the end time, where men would be lovers of money, themselves, and give in to inordinate affections. It’s not a Nigerian thing, but a global thing, and that is why we have to start from the home. Charity begins at home. We have to start from our local church by encouraging the youths, and by the time you change one person, the person goes out to change another person, and the chain grows like that.
“Before you are tempted into vice, there are some determining factors, such as loneliness, emotional instability. When in such situations, locate a church. A church is a living place; it’s like a mustard seed which grows and the birds make their nest on it. You will hear the word of God and prayers that will change your life. You will be gainfully engaged to get the required help. You get job opportunities when you are fully involved in the things of God because no sane man will go into the streets to give jobs to louts and people consumed in vices. You must be identified in a good place before good offers/opportunities can come in.”
Founder and General Overseer of the church Pastor Jacob Shodiende said the seminar was organised to instill in parents and children the need to change for better.
The church, he said, has been giving back to the society through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which include sponsoring indigent students, caring for the sick (physically and mentally), among others.
The cleric urged everyone, especially the ruling class, to return to God through genuine repentance, saying only then will God intervene and Nigeria will be a better place for all.
He said: “We want our parents and children to change for the better. Evil communication corrupts good manners. We want them to know the way of God and stop from following the way of the devil which leads to perdition. If they can pray and follow the fundamental truth of the gospel, their life will be better.
“When we preach, we take care of new converts, send them to school. We have more than 70 mentally deranged people here and we foot their bills; the blind, the indigent, we take care without collecting a dime.
“Our responsibility is to pray for the ruling class. Everybody should go back to God, which is the most important thing. When we go back to God, he will guide us. Without him, we cannot achieve anything; He will make everything go easily when we seek him.”
On the 2019 elections, the cleric has this to say: “Our advice to everybody, especially the youths, is that they should vote and return home. They should not engage in violence. Holiness, faithfulness, serving God in reality are the only way forward, and this is why we are having this programme. We are teaching and warning them to vote and return to their homes.”
In his New Year message, Pastor Shodiende urged everyone to move closer to God because His coming is imminent.
“2019 will be a good year. Everyone should move closer to God because His coming is eminent. Everybody should believe and hope in God that He is able to run the country if we can commit its affairs unto God.”
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