A motivational speaker and resource person, Mr. Idafe Koko, has cautioned young students on the needto avoid undue peer influence and social vices in order not to jeopardise their future.

Mr. Koko gave the charge at a one-day seminar on, “Peer Pressure in Academic Performance” organized by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), known as Developmental Heritage Association (DHA) for Secondary Schools in Okrika and Ogu-Bolo Areas of Rivers State.

Mr.Koko who defined Peer Pressure as the influence of people of the same age group on each other, said that such influence could be positive or negative, most times, however, they are always negative.

He cautioned the students to be on guard by keeping away from bad friends that would either lead them to negative behaviour or kill their dreams.

The same view was echoed by Mr. Joel Dadiye who identified Peer Pressures as having distinctive influence on young people and therefore called on parents and guidance to always know the kind of friends their wards keep.

Earlier in his welcome speech, the chairman of the occasion and Director of Programme for DHA, Mr. Thompson Wkama said the orgainsation was borne out of the passion to curb the growing rate of juvenile delinquencies among the youths and teens in the neglected rural areas.

The group, he said, believed that with right moral teaching, good education, motivation and the fear of God, youths in the grassroots would be focused to achieve their good dreams rather than toying the path of regrets occasioned by bad friends and associates.

Reacting on the achievements so far recroded in the grassroots, the President of the Association, Mr. Nedd Tamuno, expressed joy that the children have began to catch their dreams.

He noted that when the gprogramme started three years ago, the children had no dream for their lieves and unable to express themselves for lack of boldness. Today, he said every one of them is jostling for recognition to speak in the pulic.

This, he said is the motivation of the founder of the association who make the sacrifice to ensure that these helpless children that would take over the baton of governance tomorrow come out of their shelves in preparation for the job ahead of them.

In a short exhortation, Rev. Tonye Daka, encourage children to put God first in all they do through the obdeneice of their parents, elders and teachers to enable them attract the blessings of God.

The 2010 edition of the competition, which started among Primary School Pupils within the two LGAs of Krifese ethnic Nationality, was concluded with David Maxwell of Government Secondary emerging the overall best, while Kienma Price of GSS and Blessing  Martins of GSS Okochiri and Miss Jennifer Okemefula of GSS Ogu took 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.