By Vivian Onyebukwa
•Some members of Knight of St Mulumba, Ejigbo Province 4 and the sudents at the conference
In an effort to put a stop to abortion and drug abuse, the members of Knights of St. Mulumba/Ladies of St. Mulumba, Region 4, organised a conference titled, “Say No To Abortion, Say No to Drugs” recently.
The pro-life conference, which was held at St. Peter Catholic Church, Ejigbo, Lagos, was attended by members of Knights of St Mulumba/Ladies of St. Mulumba Region 4, Lagos, and students from the schools in the region.
Looking at the theme of the seminar, the resource person, Rev. Fr. Moses Ojobo, an Associate Priest at SS Peter/Paul Catholic Church, Okeafa, Ejigbo, Lagos, noted that abortion and drug abuse were issues that confront mankind every day, as long as they have young ones growing up.
Fr. Ojobo condemned abortion in its entirety, saying that in no circumstance should one commit abortion, not even in rape.
He advocated total abstinence, and no use of contraceptives. “Being natural is the best. Uphold the sanctity of life. Once a conception is established, there should not be termination, else one would be termed as a murderer. Life is a gift and all of us have been given life to preserve and nurture it, not to take it. There is no moral backing to take away life.”
With the story of a young girl called Rosemary, Fr. Ojobo painted a picture of a naive girl who was violated by her uncle, which resulted in pregnancy and destroyed her life.
Speaking about drug abuse, the priest equally admonished the youths not to be influenced by their environment, no matter the situation.
“Even under pressure, you should say no to drugs. If your foundation is formidable, there will be no need in following a band wagon,” he said.
He described drug abuse as an issue that can’t be wished away, saying, “Even the hard drug has its own benefit, but when it is abused, it becomes an issue.”
The priest identified environment, peer pressure and accessibility of drug as some of the causes of drug abuse, saying that they could lead to social consequences.
He identified education and early identification as some of the measures to stop drug abuse, but stated that it was best to avoid drugs entirely.
Rev. Fr. Ojobo noted that drug abuse was prevalent in society, saying that all hands have a huge role to play in eradicating it.
He mentioned the psychological effects of abortion and drugs, which include stigma, adding that it may degenerate in lack of confidence, depression and even suicide, because of the ridicule that it attracts from people.
He advocated rehabilitation and counselling for drug addicts to help them go through the situation, and added that one should engage a professional during sickness to avoid drug abuse.
Sir Odinaka Iwu, Grand Night of Ejigbo Sub-Council and the co-ordinator of the event, while speaking about the seminar, described youths as most vulnerable, and advised them to shun abortion and drug abuse: “There should be no killing or drug abuse, as the church teaches us. All society’s issues are inter-related. The morals are decaying, that is why we are targeting the youths and the general public.”
He added that the lecture was also for adults so they could advocate for their children at home, describing it is as a moral obligation to everybody.