Cape Coast, Feb 15, GNA - The Central Regional Coordinator of the Scripture Union (SU), Ghana, Nana Yaw Offei Awuku on Saturday expressed concern about the negative effect of Valentine's day messages on the moral lives of young people in the country.

He said it was therefore, the Union's vision to help change the trend and inculcate in the youth the desire to celebrate the day with joy and devoid of passion and immoral practices accompanied with positive messages.

Mr Awuku was speaking at a students' Valentine Festival, dubbed 'VALFEST 2004' at Aggrey Memorial Zion Secondary School at Cape Coast, on the theme: "Jesus, God's special Valentine gift".

The festival organised by the SU, was to help students to celebrate the day in a "happy and healthy way." Participants who were educated to abstain from sex, were entertained with Christian music and choreography.

It was attended by 22 schools from five districts in the region, including, Aggrey Memorial Zion, Adisadel, Mfantsipim, Mankessim Secondary Technical, Breman-Asikuma Secondary, Edinaman and Asuansi Secondary Technical schools. Mr. Awuku told the students that God's perfect plan for them was to ensure that they abstain from sex until marriage and stressed that if they are able to abide by that rule the hope of the Union to raise an HIV/AIDS free generation in the near future would materialise.

Mrs. Esther Oyinka, Central Regional HIV/AIDS coordinator of the Ghana Health Service, who spoke on the topic, "The reality of HIV/AIDS and its implications for our schools and students," painted a gloomy picture of the AIDS situation in the region and said it is the highest recording region in the country with a prevalence rate of 2.6 per cent. She said the disease is real and that the trauma, agony and torture victims and their families go through when they contract it was enormous and urged young people to heed the advice of abstinence in order not to mar their future.

A lecturer at the Physics Department of the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Kofi Anane- Fenin, in a message advised them against any relationship that would lead them to sin. He said as students, they are too young to engage in boy/girl relationships because at that stage it is not love but infatuation that draw them together.

Dr. Anane-Fenin therefore, urged them not to indulge in practices that would jeopardise their future.