Dr Nsor calls for crusade against indiscipline

The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Ephraim Avea Nsor,  has called for a major crusade against indiscipline among the youth and the entire society, pointing out that " indiscipline retards development”.

He said non-obedience to authority bred indiscipline and chaos, with its resultant eruption of violence and crime and stressed the need to inculcate the tenets of obedience in the youth who are the future leaders.

According to Dr Nsor, " the youth constitute an important human resource with the potential to contribute significantly to national development; it is therefore saddening to recognise that our youth in the Zongo communities are branded as violent and lawless" .

The regional minister made the call at the opening of the regional conference ( JALSA) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Wa, The conference was on the theme: "Obedience to authority - the hallmark of an Ahmadi Muslim".

He, therefore, urged members of the Ahmadiyya Mission to use their religion as a catalyst to transform the society for the better.

He also commended the organisers of the conference for discussing the widespread indiscipline and crime in the society.

On what the government was doing to engage the youth, Dr Avea Nsor mentioned the establishment of the National Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency ( GYEEDA) and the Local Enterprises Skills Development Programme ( LESDEP) as some of the interventions to harness the potential of the youth and equip them with employable skills.

He also commended the Ahmadiyya Mission for its role in the promotion of health and education in the Upper West Region and the country generally, and called  on everyone to support the mission.

The acting Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Muhammed Yusif Yawson, on his part called for a total respect for authority in the country.

He said as political beings, the only way to become responsible citizens was  to respect the arms of government, the state apparatus and institutions.

Maulvi Yawson  said followers of the Islamic faith also lived in a proper and supposedly civilised system of governance, therefore, adherents and practitioners of the Islamic faith must respect the rule of law, love peace and be patriotic.

"Islam  does not permit criticism of the order of the superiors; neither does it allow selective obedience, that is to obey when instructions suit you or you like the officer concerned but if it is the contrary, then you decline to obey, " he emphasised, adding that Islam does not advocate blind compliance or unreasonable obedience.

He added that the hallmark of a true Muslim was his esteem for Allah, his prophet and the Islamic religion.

That, the acting Maulvi said, must be manifested in the manner in which people criticised government by offering alternatives and concrete suggestions for social, political, economic and social development.

"One should not use abusive language even when one does not see wisdom in a policy of the government  if one happens to be on the other side of the political divide," he noted, and called for equal respect to be given traditional, religious and political leaders of the country.

By George Folley