AGGRESSIVE YOUTH REORIENTATION, SENSITIZATION NEEDED TO CURB CULTISM, CRIME IN THE STATE - SIGNOR IDIEGE

By Esther Okoi, CRS-MOI Officer reporting from Ministry of Youth Development and Skills Acquisition

Alarmed by the spate of crime, cultism and other social vices in the State recently, the Cross River State Commissioner for Youth Development and Skills Acquisition, Hon. Signor Omang Idiege, says that there is a dire need for reorientation and sensitization of youth across the State on the ills of cultism, crime and social vices.

Commissioner Idiege who stated this when the Youth Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Cross River State Chapter, Pst. Obia Ikika, visited his office, urged youth not to allow recent economic realities push them into crime, rather they should identify and efficiently utilize the various platforms provided by the Governor Ben Ayade-led adminstration for youth development, adding that the vigour and vitality of the youth is for the betterment of mankind and the society and should not be channeled wrongly to social vices.

Lamenting the damage and barbarity of cultism and other social vices on the society and the youth themselves,  Signor Idiege called on the youth wing of CAN to collaborate with the State Ministry of Youth Development and Skills Acquisition; the Ministry of Sports and Cinematography; as well as the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Cross River State chapter, for adequate sensitization and sanitization of youth in the State, reassuring that every available support needed from the ministries will be accorded them whenever they are ready.

Also present during the visit, the State Commissioner for Sports and Cinematography, Chief Offu Aya noted that what the youth need to get their minds off crime and other social vices is positive engagement, informing that it is one the reasons His Excellency, Sen. (Prof.) Ben Ayade engaged as many youth as possible in his administration. He added that sporting activities is another area that these youth can be properly engaged to disorient their minds from crime and should be effectively utilized.

Speaking earlier, the Youth Chairman of CAN, Pst. Obia Ikika, inferred that insecurities, crimes, cultism and other social vices are perpetrated by youth and the fight of the church is to curb these crimes and societal menace, adding that the youth wing of CAN is ready to partner with the ministries of youth and sports to organize football unity cup, skills acquisition programmes and other activities which could even serve as avenues to scout for talents for the State.