BY Emmanuel Thompson, JABU

Moral decadence among youth and increased cases of violence in the country has been attributed to the unsupportive attitude of the government and bad upbringing.

The Vice-Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Professor Sola Fajana at a teens’ programme held in the Christ Apostolic Church, Month of Blessing, Yaba, Lagos, highlighted the characteristics of a 21st Century youth and how family and societal influence largely contribute to a child’s mental, spiritual, academic and social growth.
In his words at the 5th anniversary of the Teens Chapel, “Religious knowledge and civics are no longer compulsory in schools; whereas, the Bible is not silent on many of the social and ethical issues with which we are confronted today.”

Speaking further, Professor Fajana urged parents to show love to their children as it would help take their minds off from peer pressure. “Our youth may never directly say to us, ‘please love me’, but they need to know that we really care for them, and they deserve to be encouraged and complimented for good efforts.”
Fajana concluded that young people in the 21st Century will know more and have access to vastly greater quantities of information than ever before and possibly know more than their teachers, but good examples laid down by the elders and the government, can help influence them positively and put them on the right track.