An Abuja-based cleric, Rotimi Olugbile, has called for a renewed focus on family values and moral education to combat the rise of youth vices.

He made the call during an interview on the sidelines of the first anniversary celebration and graduation of the Mountain Top Schools on Friday in Abuja.

The event held at the Gwarimpa premises of the school, brought together parents, teachers, clerics and other stakeholders to celebrate their children.

According to Mr Olugbile who is the Mega Regional Overseer in charge of North Central Region 5 of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, there is an alarming rate of moral decadence among youths.

The cleric said the spate of vices such as drug abuse, indolence, disobedience to authorities and other harmful behaviours among young people was worrisome, stating that renewed efforts needed to curb them.

He said the ugly trend needed to be seriously addressed at the family level to complement efforts of the schools and churches to save the larger society.

He stated, “The issue is that, in bringing up children, you have the parents, because the children practically start from there, then you have the school, and you have the church. These three have their roles to play, but we have discovered over the years that sometimes the children are taught very well in the church, and unfortunately, some parents fail in their responsibilities.  I think the school platform is essential, especially a Christian school like the Mountain Top School, to shape the children properly.

“However, on the home front, it is very crucial that parents too should imbibe godliness, because if they don’t, all that are being done in the schools and the church will be watered down. There is so much moral decadence all over the place, but we won’t lose hope. We know that there is a better tomorrow ahead of us as we imbibe these moral teachings into the lives of the children.’’

Earlier, Regional Overseer MFM North Central Region 47 and host of the event, Emmanuel Ayantuga, said the school was committed to raising Godly children both in learning and in character.

Mr Ayantuga, who appreciated the leadership and members of the church, said the event was a celebration of vision growth, and of the grace of God in the past one year.

He stated, “We extend our heartfelt thanks to our father in the Lord, Prof. Daniel Olukoya, and our mother in the Lord, Dr (Mrs.) Folashade Olukoya, whose divine inspiration and unwavering vision gave birth to the Mountain Top Schools. Their passion for building godly foundations in the lives of young learners continues to inspire us.

“When I was transferred to MFM North Central Region 47 Gwarinpa, as an educationist, I saw the need to align with this great vision. It became clear that establishing a Mountain Top School here, rooted in sound academics and strong Christian values, was both a calling and a privilege. We have worked diligently to create a nurturing, spiritually sound, and academically excellent environment, one where pupils are encouraged to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and godly character. I am proud of the strides we have made: the remarkable development of our pupils, the dedication and sacrifice of our teachers, and the overwhelming support from the members of the Church.’’

Some parents and stakeholders attributed the success story of the school in the last one year to discipline, hard-work and godliness.

Head Teacher of the School, Taiwo Elegbede, said “The number one thing we are doing differently is godly mentoring because we actually want to shape the lives of our young ones. We have discovered that when you grab them from the foundation, you let them know the right thing to do at the right time in godly ways.

“Then we also have zero tolerance for examination malpractice, even right from the nursery session and that has helped our success story. I remember we started with three kids.one of them is on scholarship, because they are our foundation, but today we have pupils in Creche, Pre-School, Nursery and Primary Schools.’’

Wife of the host pastor, Victoria Ayantuga, lauded the school leadership for staying true to its creeds of godliness, adding that parents needed such an environment to raise their children.

She said, “My call to parents is that there is a need for us to give our children the foundation of a godly school where the principle of good morals based on the Bible is being taught. When you give a child only academics without having God it ends in disaster, most times, so, I want to encourage parents to bring their children to a school like this.’’

The event featured choreography, news, dance and other presentations by the pupils, and then awards to outstanding ones.

(NAN)