TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, Most Rev John Oyejola, has called on Nigerian youths to maximise their youthful strength and talents by taking up volunteering jobs.
The cleric encouraged youths to consider volunteering as a means of empowering themselves and contributing to the Church and their immediate environments.
Oyejola gave the charge while addressing members of the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria, Osogbo Diocese at their 2021 Diocesan Youth Day held on Sunday, at St Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Inisa, Osun State.
Bishop Oyejola explained to the youths that they had to prove to the present crop of the nation’s leaders that they were trustworthy, and endowed with possess leadership qualities and integrity before they could be supported to take up the mantle of leadership in the country.
Speaking on theme, “Stand up, I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen!” [Acts 26:16],” during the Holy Mass in the Church, the bishop urged the youths to be true witnesses of God and also love one another.
He admonished them to shun get-rich-quick syndrome and fraud, adding that there was no justification for internet fraud and other vices that youths were involved in.
He said, “I want you to volunteer your time, talents and strength to some unpaid jobs. You are still young and you need to let your presence be felt in the Church and in our society.
“There is no reason any youth should be involved in Yahoo, Yahoo. It’s sad that some youths are only after money, sex, and drugs. Be trustworthy people, prove yourself to be trustworthy, and leadership will be entrusted unto you. You plan your strategy and when they (leaders) start seeing the quality in you, people will run after you. Personal dignity and respect matter a lot. Please, be true Catholics and keep living the faith.”
In his remarks, the president of the Diocesan CYON, Francis Olaniyi called on his fellow youths to be agents of change and forces to be reckoned with in the society.
Olaniyi said, “We are in a time that we can’t be silent in the face of many frustrations and failing systems.
“The nation just experienced a ban on twitter, one of the most versatile tools of communication in our time as youths. If, perhaps, the older generation has failed us, we must, therefore, not fail our future generations.
“We have to rise up to our call as agents of change and a force of reckon. Let us be a voice of change and not a vice. Let us be committed, disciplined and let us build capacity.”
