REV NAAMEH NOT HAPPHY WITH VANDALISM (PAGE 23, JUNE 7, 2010)

THE Catholic Archbishop of Tamale, the Most Reverend Philip Naameh, has expressed concern over the immoral acts and social vices that are practised in secondary and tertiary institutions in the country.
He pointed out that deviant acts like lesbianism, homosexuality, pervasive sexual immorality and occultism which are alien to the Ghanaian culture had gained notoriety among students and must be nipped in the bud.
The Most Rev. Naameh stated this during the inauguration of the Second Ghana Version of the World Youth Day celebration (WYD) of the Catholic Archdioceses in Tamale.
It was organised by the Ghana National Catholic Youth Council (GHANCYC).
It had the theme “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” and aimed at complementing government and civil society ‘s efforts to bring lasting peace to the north.
The conference was also to help encourage the youth to avoid such social vices such as indecent dressing, drug abuse, alcoholism and disrespect for the elderly.,
More than 3,000 Catholic youth from all over the country attended the five-day programme.
The Archbishop further pointed out that “these anti-Gospel practices in our secondary and tertiary institutions are through the influx of foreign cultures and these negative practices inhibit the youth from practising sound moral values”.
He entreated religious bodies, educational authorities, parents, traditional rulers and elders in the society to help address these issues in order to secure a good future for the youth.
The Most Rev. Naameh equally observed that the celebration would enable the youth to “destroy those prejudices and stereotyping of some ethnic groups in the country”.
“The youth are being commissioned to go out and evangelise, particularly among their peers because some people do not acknowledge the need for sound moral values”, he stated.
The Archbishop observed that bringing Catholic youth together on such occasions was necessary as it would afford them the opportunity of living together and accepting each other, in spite of their tribes.
He urged Catholics to support the youth and exhibit a certain level of sacrifice to make the celebration successful.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Mr Peter Tanga, entreated the youth not to allow themselves to be used by “selfish and greedy adults to perpetuate crime”.
According to him, the time had come for the youth to change their attitude and “surrender themselves totally to the Living God; we must see ourselves as agents of change”.
Mr Tanga condemned the recent ‘shit-bombing’ of the Martyrs of Uganda Parish by unidentified members .
He, therefore, called on parents and the church leaders to take a second look at the upbringing of children and youth of the Catholic Church.
“Parents no longer encourage their children to attend youth programmes where Catholic values are taught and exhibited and the church also no longer provides enough funding for the continuous formulation of youth programme,” he stated.