Adventist clerics urge youths to stop giving Nigeria bad name

Clerics of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Gombe State have advised youths against denting the image of the country through drug abuse and internet fraud.

They gave the advice while addressing newsmen during the 9th Biennial Convention themed ‘Making A Difference’ of the Nigeria Association of Adventist Students (NAAS), North East Zone, in Gombe yesterday.

Pastor in charge of the Northern Nigeria Union Conference of the church, Vealumun Iorkyaa, charged the youths to make a personal decision of staying out of whatever would give Nigeria a bad name.

Zonal president of NAAS, Mr. Micah Junior, urged the youths to stand firm against the forces of drug abuse and other social vices in contemporary time.

On his part, Public Campus Ministry Director, North East Nigeria Conference, Pastor Ishaya Chullu, charged youths to stay away from everything that would bring the country to disrepute, as drug had destroyed the destinies of many youths.

“Youth who go into money scam online and other vices are giving the country bad name and that is not good. The youths should go out and make a difference by protecting our integrity,” he added.

In the same vein, the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference (ENUC) of the church has called for the enactment of stronger legislation that will end all forms of violence against humanity.

The Women Ministries (WMs) Director, Mrs. Gladys Nwokocha, said on the sidelines of an awareness campaign in South East and South South yesterday in Enugu, that the church was bothered by the increase in all forms of violence, especially those targeted at the vulnerable.

Domestic violence, psychological violence, sexual violence, financial violence and verbal abuse were among the ills she referred to.

Others are child marriage, trafficking and abuse, rape, as well as deaths arising from insecurity.