By John Damian Adizie

At the just concluded synod on the Pastoral Care of the youth organized by the Catholic Diocese of Minna, I introduced a 134 page book on Youth Liberation. I dedicated the book to the synod because I knew quite well that Youth Liberation is the foundation of youth empowerment and development. We cannot build the youths without a solid spiritual and psychological foundation.

The book has 22 chapters. Each chapter deals with an area where the youths need to be liberated from. Chapter one is on Youth Liberation from the Spirit of Distress. Nigeria, according to CBCN, is a country in Distress. Hence, the Prayer for Nigeria in Distress. Chapter two deals with Youth Liberation from economic recession.

Chapter three is Liberation from Bribery and Corruption, which is a major agenda in the current APC-led administration. Whereas chapter four is Youth Liberation from occultism and other forms of initiation. Chapter Five deals with unemployment, which is a major challenge facing the youths, not just in Nigeria but globally.

Chapter six deals with the issue of debt, which has enslaved our nation and most of our youths. The only thing our youths are looking forward to inherit from our leaders is nothing but debt. Almost all Nigerian states are borrowing and re-borrowing. No one is even thinking of possible ways of paying back these debts. This chapter offers solution and liberation prayer from the spirit of debt.

Most of our young ladies are now engaging commercial sex for survival. Most of them trooping out of the country to Europe are into prostitution; Chapter seven deals with the liberation of our youths from the spirit of prostitution. Chapter Eight of this life transforming book deals with youth liberation from drug addi-ction and mental disorder.

Chapter nine deals with the homosexuality. This comes at a time when most of the Western world have legalized gay marriage. The negative effect of homosexuality were highlighted with possible way out. Chapter 10 deals with youth liberation from modern forms of slavery. While Chapter 11 has to do with youth liberation from the spirit of poverty.

Most of our youths are not as lazy as they are depicted. In fact, a good number of them work like elephant but eat like ant. In Luke 5 before encountering Jesus, Peter laboured all through the night and he caught nothing but the moment Jesus stepped into his boat the story changed.

That is what Youth Liberation is all about – disconnecting the youths from bondage and then connecting them to Christ Jesus, who says in John 15:5 “Without me you can do nothing!”

*To be continued.