“There is a struggle for survival inside everybody, so whatever it takes for them to survive, they will do. These people can easily be recruited for crime. If the government wants to avert a future problem, something must be done about the young population now,” he said.
The Local Ordinary of Lafia Diocese, since his Episcopal Consecration in June 2021, described the situation as a ticking time bomb, stressing that the growing number of children without access to education or vocational training contributes to insecurity across the country.
“There is a large population of children who are not in school and are not acquiring any skills at all. My plea is that something must be done urgently. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” Bishop Ajang said.
He said the government must create structures that ensure children are educated and trained with useful skills.
The Catholic Church leader noted that many parents bring children into the world without the capacity to provide for them, resulting in a generation of idle and frustrated young people who easily fall into crime.
“The first call is for families to be responsible parents. Do not bring into the world children you cannot care for. One of our biggest problems is that people bring children into the world without the means to cater for them,” he said.
Bishop Ajang, who chairs the Social Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) appealed to Priests and church workers to take a more active role in youth formation, saying the Church has a responsibility to guide young people toward positive living.
“I appealed to the Priests to be close to the youth, somehow people think you cannot be a Christian and enjoy life. But by young Priests infiltrating the ranks of the youth, they can show that it is possible to enjoy life and still serve God,” he said.
He encouraged Priests in his Episcopal See to engage with young people at their level, stressing that a relatable pastoral approach would have greater impact than distant preaching.
“When you associate with them as their contemporary, you challenge them by the kind of life you live; they will find you approachable and see you as a model. If Priests do this, their ministry will be more impactful,” Bishop Ajang explained.
