Maulvi Dr. Wahab A. Adam, Head and Missionary in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, has called on religious leaders and parents to focus more on preaching and counselling that would imbibe in the youth genuine belief in God and the reality of divine intervention in human affairs.
This, he said, was the only way to save them from the moral decadence of the day as it would help restore the balance between the material and the spiritual.
Maulvi Wahab Adam said this on Saturday at Bolgatanga at the 30th National Annual Rally of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organization which was on the theme, "Materialism, a major Challenge to the Youth of Modern Society".
He said morality had so far not kept pace with the scientific and technological advancement of the modern world and that imbalance between the material and the spiritual was responsible for the disillusionment of the youth, thereby leading to tension and anti social tendencies.
Maulvi Wahab Adam said a good spiritual conscience would enable people to realize the obligation they owed to all and therefore show more concern for others and urged the public to eschew what would cause pain and anguish to other people regardless of their ethnic or religious background.
Maulvi Wahab Adam urged the youth to get involved in acts that would strengthen their religious faith, use their energies to help build peace in their communities and undertake viable ventures such as tree planting, helping the weak and those in need and cleaning their surroundings.
"The primary objective of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission is to remind people, especially the youth, of the need to lead such responsible lives that will reflect the moral obligation we owe to one another as one human family", he said.
Mrs. Lucy Awuni, Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, said the youth needed to be properly groomed, trained and given skills as they would grow up to replace the aged in the labour front.
"The government is committed to place the youth at the core of its policy initiatives in order to restore hope in them."
She said Government had allocated funds in this year's budget for School Education Assessment (SEA) and the National Education Assessment (NEA) to be conducted to enhance proper assessment of pupils' learning outcome.
Funds had also been allocated for the National Vocational Training Institute Programme to start implementing the National Apprenticeship Programme under the continuing Education Programme for those who completed Junior High School but were unable to access senior high school education, she said.
Mrs. Awuni said it was rather unfortunate that anti social vices such as armed robbery and cyber fraud was on the increase and that there was the need for religious organizations to spread the message of honesty, probity and accountability.
"Religious leaders must not only be preaching these virtues but must also be seen to be practicing them and being good role models for their members to emulate," she said.
Mr. Abass Bin Wilson, President of the Ahmadi Youth Organization, said the social vices that some youth were engaged in could be destructive to them and the nation and called for a holistic approach to deal with the situation.