CATHOLIC YOUTHS RALLY AGAINST RISING RATE OF SUICIDE CASES
OGHENETEJIRI NYERHOVWO
Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON) of St. John Mary Vianney Catholic Church, New Layout, Ekpan Chapter, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State have staged a rally to express concern as well as create awareness over increasing rate of suicide among young people across Nigeria in recent times.
The rally which was held to kick-start a week long youth week of the church saw youths who came out in their hundreds carrying placards with inscription such as “Suicide does end Pains”,”Suicide passes the pains to someone else”, “Don’t loose hope, No Condition is permanent, “Say No to Suicide” among many others moved along the ever busy Jakpa Road and major streets in Ekpan.
In his speech, Mr. Shadrach Ifechukwude Epechi, President Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria(CYON) said that the rally was a well thought out exercise to strongly condemn and discourage youths from commiting suicide.
Mr. Epechi stated that the rally was aimed at raising awareness of the public especially the young people about the need to jettison the option of suicide as a solution to whatever difficult situation they might be in.
He expressed concern about the frequency of reports of suicide cases across the country, even with the tertiary institutions having a fair share of the harrowing incidents.
He frowned at the hurting rising trend, wondering why a young boy or girl would want to take his or her life by committing suicide over issues that ordinarily should not warrant such careless and devilish act.
Mr. Epechi emphasized the need for a collective action to halt the ugly trend just as he expressed worry about reported cases of young students in tertiary institutions that committed suicide over less troubling issues.
According to him, “I do not understand why a young man would contemplate suicide because his girlfriend jilted or abandoned him. In the same vein, why would a young girl kill herself because her boyfriend had a querrel with her.”
Mr. Epechi said that it was inexplicable why a young boy would commit suicide because he scored low marks in JAMB examination, he then called on youths to have a rethink, adding, “in whatever troubling situation, no matter how worse it might be, suicide must not be contemplated. It’s must not be an option. I am using this opportunity to call on our youths to have faith in God in all their endeavours, brighten your hopes in God, rely on Him in everything you do in all spheres of life.”
He however noted that depression resulting from inability to meet up with unrealistic expectations might not be unconnected with the growing incidents of suicide among youths in recent years, he then called on Nigerians to promote love in the society in order to curb the menace.
The rally was rounded off at the church premises.
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