By Chioma Ndife
The Auxiliary Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship, Most Rev. Jonas Benson Okoye has enumerated the benefits of good parenting and child grooming in human society.
Bishop Okoye who spoke on the need for effective child grooming in his homily at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Amesi, Aguata LGA, Anambra State Sunday, November 17, during his pastoral visit, also administered the Sacrament of Confirmation on some deserving Catholic Faithful.
He explained that good parenting was the route to achieving effective and efficient child grooming, saying that well-groomed persons would help to increase the number of good practicing Christians who could withstand trials in upholding their faith. He noted that an increase in the number of practicing Christians would reduce the difficulties which most people passed through on daily basis, noting that people would be willing to offer a helping hand to those in need.
Using the illustration of a man who frequently took his son while going to steal from people’s houses, the Catholic Prelate advised parents to guard their children from seeing their negative behaviour. He also charged parents with negative habits to make consistent efforts towards changing such to prevent their children from copying from them, even as he noted that everyone had a role to play in making Nigeria better.
He described children as the future which Nigeria nation hoped on for repositioning the nation and expressed optimism that a well-trained child would make a good president, an excellent governor and people oriented representative than his counterpart that was not well trained when given the opportunity to lead.
He said if all parents should devote time and attention to their children, the over-crowded cells in various prisons across the nation would be reduced, as people tended not to deviate from the teachings which were imbibed in their sub-conscious during their formative years.
He therefore advised parents to go back to the drawing board and correct the anomalies for a better tomorrow.
Speaking to the confirmed Catholic faithful, Bishop Okoye advised them to allow the grace which they had received through the Sacrament of Confirmation to manifest in all their actions. He urged them to defend their Catholic faith wherever they found themselves.
He emphasized the need for young people to make effective use of various avenues which had been created for them by the government of the day and public-spirited individuals in order to make their lives better and contribute qualitatively towards making Nigeria better, even as he said that every citizen had a role to play.
