NGO Urges Enugu Students to Shun Social Vices at Mega Secondary Schools' Convention

In a bid to steer Enugu State's youth away from social vices, the non-governmental organization Pleasant Gathering (PG) held its 11th Mega Secondary Schools' Student Convention at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on Sunday. The International President of PG, Joy Ogbonnaya, delivered a powerful message urging over 100 secondary school participants to resist engaging in activities such as pornography, cultism, and prostitution.

The convention, themed 'Nigerian Students as Agents of Transformation,' sought to empower the next generation to achieve success in education and uphold high ethical standards. Ogbonnaya emphasized the importance of focusing on education and avoiding distractions such as pornography, masturbation, homosexuality, cultism, prostitution, rape, consumption of hard drugs, and exam malpractice.

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"Nobody gives you an award for doing evil, but you can be given an award for being the best mathematics student; cultism and prostitution have led many students to an early grave. So avoid being the perpetrator of evil and social vices," she emphasized.

Ogbonnaya highlighted that the convention aimed at transforming and empowering Nigerian students to become agents of change in the country. She stressed that true national transformation and positive change are only possible when students are fully equipped and empowered for the process.

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The organization, in collaboration with the Post Primary Schools Management Board, Enugu State, has engaged over 100 public, private, and mission secondary schools through PG Reading Club to instill moral values and restore a reading culture among students. The Reading Club has already shown positive impacts, including increased academic and moral knowledge, talent discovery, and a reduction of cultism in schools.

During the event, the First Lady of Enugu South Council Area, Adaeze Nkwuo, represented by Evangelist Patricia Okoko, expressed satisfaction with the program and its potential to rebuild the lifestyle of students, whom she described as "the future leaders of the country."

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A student from Coal Camp Secondary School in Ogbete, Enugu, Miracle Ogenyi, praised the convention as a source of empowerment and encouragement, stating, "I like the program because it teaches teenagers like us to understand the wrong way of life and enables us to meet our fellow students from other schools."

Despite the impactful initiatives, Joy Ogbonnaya appealed for support, including land for a convention center, project vehicles, sponsorship for their annual mega students' convention, and the inclusion of their developed moral scheme in the schools' curriculum. She shared that the organization spent over N15 million this year alone, covering expenses such as food, transportation, and logistics for the students.