By Josephine Oguntoyinbo
The Ondo State House of Assembly has cautioned youths in the state to avoid uncouth characters and habits that could hinder them from benefitting out of opportunities around them.
The Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Favour Tomomewo , gave the warning during an oversight visit to the State Ministry of Women Affairs and also the Christian Welfare Board in Akure.
Tomomewo , who was reacting to the board’s complaint about abscondment of some youths during their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, asked them to be morally guided and imbibe moral character.
” l have to talk to the youth now that they must be morally guided ,so that they will not squander the various opportunities and benefits that abound around them,” she said.
She tasked the Christian board not to deny youths the privilege of adequate knowledge before they are permitted to attend the pilgrimage.
” I want to advise the board to lay down some policies and procedures and also work with some prominent personalities in the state just like we lawmakers to present trusted youths that will not abscond.I want to urge them not to strike out the opportunities from the youths,” she averred .
The committee chairman admonished the board to be proactive and come up with ideas on sourcing funds from well-to-do people in helping the Christian body.
Earlier, the Secretary of the board, Mr Tunde Ilesanmi highlighted some four categories of pilgrimage to Israel but noted that the board had put rigorous conditions on the youth category because of the constant cases of abscondment.
Ilesanmi ,who explained that anybody below 50 years of age are now been disqualified, cited several cases of abscondment by the said youths in the past.
The committee, which also visited the state Ministry of Woman Affairs and Social Development, applauded the ministry for its unrelenting efforts in defending and catering for the vulnerables in the state.
Tomomewo urged the ministry to put more strategies and like-wise synergize with the committee in addressing the high rate of rape in the society and also the provision for widows and others.
She stated that the ministry should create enough publicity for its humanitarian roles ,especially in rape cases, so that those found culpable would serve as deterrent to others.
Earlier ,the state Commissioner for Woman Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Titi Adeyemi explained that the ministry is concerned and disturbed by continued rape cases.
Adeyemi added that the ministry is currently collaborating with traditional rulers in the state on curtailing the menace, promising that the House of Assembly would be briefed later.
