Sakumono, May 31, GNA - Churches were on Saturday impressed upon to lead the crusade against social vices that have assumed alarming rate among the youth in the country to bring sanity into the society. Madam Irene Naa Torshie Addo, MP for Tema West constituency noted that, religious leaders are better placed to preach to transform the youth as they meet a larger group of people often daily in the churches. She said the fast rate at which social vices such as prostitution among young ladies, robbery, rape, defilement and the recent cyber fraud popularly known as "sakawa have the tendency to tarnish the image of the country and requires immediate attention.

She said the religious leaders have the onerous responsibility to complement the efforts of the leadership to arrest the situation before it escalates.

The MP was speaking to the GNA in an interview during the opening of a three-day six biennial delegates conference of the Tema Methodist Diocesan Guild held at Sakomono near Tema under the theme "make your fire burn".

For the youth to play active role in the churches, Madam Addo entreated the elders, parents and guidance to encourage them to register with the various societies in the churches where they can use their leisure periods profitably to improve their lot. She equally underscored the need for parents and guidance to gather the courage to talk to their children on the dangers in indulging in these social activities especially the harm and embarrassment it brings to their lives, family, society and the nation as a whole. Madam Addo encouraged the churches to carry out income generating activities that would empower the women to enable them to become self-sufficient and contribute effectively to their home income and also improve their lot.

The Tema Diocesan Bishop of the Methodist Church, Right Reverend Samuel Achamfuo-Yeboah admonished members of the Guild to build their capacities spiritually to prevent the infiltration of negative tendencies in order not to mar their lives.

He noted that people get swayed through temptation and friends to indulge in social activities that eventually land them into trouble because they are not spiritually built.

To lead moral lives, Rt. Rev. Achamfuo-Yeboah advised devoted Christians to distant themselves from unbelievers and recalcitrant people and rather pray that they would change for the better. In a welcoming address, Mr. Michael Ntsiabah Mensah, president of the diocesan guild mentioned that his three, which is the final year term in office has achieved among others in cultivating a four-acre mango farm at Somanya and opened up more branches of the guild at various circuits under the diocese.