Apostle Samuel Gyau Obuobi (R) with some organisers
Stakeholders especially parents have been urged to instil ethical values in the youth, to enable them make meaningful contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.
General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Gyau Obuobi, who made the call during the launch of the National Leavers Summit in Accra, said instilling ethical values such as honesty, integrity, and respect among others could be realised if the youth are nurtured and guided.
According to him, apart from instilling ethical values in the youth, adults are also required to invest their time and money among other resources to prepare them to become responsible not only to their immediate families but society as a whole.
“Leadership of the next generation in this context is not just about giving orders; it’s about serving, protecting, and inspiring those watching us. By embodying the values we wish to instil, we invest in the next generation’s faith and encourage them to shine their light brightly in the world,” he pointed out.
While urging parents to be conscious of the values they instil in the young ones, he also asked the youth to equally offer themselves to be nurtured, taught and learn from mentors.
Pastor Frank Mensah, National Coordinator of the Schools Outreach Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, for his part, said the Leavers Summit is aimed at giving opportunity for graduates of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to exude their excitement after the completion of their respective examinations in a more positive way, while embracing the need to prepare themselves adequately for the next phase of their lives.
He said educated men and women professed the greatest ideals of society and reflected the positive pinpoints of culture.
That positive cultural values, he explained, has changed as education has gradually been detached from the values of the Ghanaian culture.
He added that such developments, regarded as ‘new normals’, cannot be accepted, as focusing on intellect without giving priority to building strong values will result in what he described as “professionalism of vices”.
The second edition of the National Leavers Summit, which will be held on September 20, is expected to provide students, who have completed Senior High School (SHS), opportunity to praise, pray and learn to become productive, guided by Christian values.
Coordinator at the Pent Media Centre, Fred Tettey Amoako, speaking on behalf of the Director, Dr. Felix Dela Klutse, said knowledge must go beyond rhetoric and be impacted, modelled to guide the youth to be prepared for future tasks, citing scriptures from the book of Hosea chapter 4.
He said the direction set for students will determine the destiny of the country, as education is not just filling the mind with facts but shaping of character, vision and courage.
“Let us focus, let us guide, let us nurture our next generation, for if we succeed, Ghana and the world will rejoice in the fruits of the best generation for today,” he emphasised.
The event launch, held at Odorgonno Senior High School, also brought together the clergy, National Executives of The Church of Pentecost including the Chairman of the School Outreach Ministry, Apostle Prof. J.I.T Buertey, School Ministry Chairperson of the Scripture Union (SU), representatives from the Municipal Education Directorate and other senior high schools in Accra.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah