The Bishop, Methodist Church, Bori Diocese, Rt. Rev. Lebee Humphrey Nnam has blamed the leaders in communities for the high rate of killings and violence in the state.
Nnam also attributed the failure of community leaders and family heads to imbibe sound moral and responsible behaviours on the youths to pervasive greed and selfishness.
The bishop made the assertions during the funeral sermon of Dr Lucky Emmanie Kina at his home town, Kpean in Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State, recently.
Speaking on the theme, “Put Your House In Order”, the bishop stressed that when leaders and family heads put self first in the scheme of things, rather than carrying everyone along, violence and killings were inevitable.
Nnam noted that except this act was corrected and the leaders and family heads identify with the alienated and oppressed in efforts to share in their plight, the weeping would continue.
“These hoodlums need to be identified with, know their problems; because many of them are hungry, and have nothing doing, thereby forcing them into one atrocity or the other.
“It is time to stop educating and training only your family members”, he advised.
He added that it was time they extended a hand of love, care and concern to the less privileged in the society so as to reduce crime and criminalities from the communities.
Nnam charged leaders of communities to give equal educational opportunities to all brilliant children willing to go to school, adding that they should also extend support to those willing to learn hand work as a way of curbing crime in the society.
The Bishop regretted that it was difficult to find an exemplary leader in Ogoni as a result of gruesome murder of their elite class by hoodlums.
Nnam emphasised that the burial of late Dr Lucky Kina was not befitting, adding that the congregation must weep over such burial that never again should it happen.
He urged all greedy leaders in the state to turn a new leaf, noting that positive attitudinal change was key to leaving in peace and harmony with fellow neighbours.
The bishop stressed that peace, unity and prayer were what was needed in the troubled communities, and prayed that such premature death may no longer happen again.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana