By Romanus Okoye
It wasn’t May 1, but members of the Young Christian Workers Movement in the entire Catholic Deanery in Lagos recently assembled at St. Joseph De Guardian of Redeemer Catholic Church, Agodo-Egbe Parish, Lagos to celebrate strategise on the way forward for young Christian workers. Their excitement was understandable, especially when they expected the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins to be in attendance.
The Young Christian Workers Movement, a forum of young people, seeks to create a world where young people make a difference by being the difference themselves.
The archbishop was represented at the event, entitled “Arise, Oh Youth for the Change” by the Dean of Isolo Deanery, Rev. Fr. Jude Abulu. He took his message from Genesis 1:28 and urged the Young Christian Workers (YCW) to be industrious and offer more than they are paid in their chosen professions.
He explained that the Bible reference had profound meanings. “It is more than biological procreation. Rather, it is God’s invitation and injunction to man to share in His divine creativity. It was a call to enhance the work of creation and not to destroy it or watch it being destroyed,” he said, even as he implored the young Christian workers to display the genuineness of their Christianity through their attitude and dedication to work.
“For the youths to arise, such youths must be ready to find contentment in their chosen professions. There is no meagre work as far as it is done with contentment and positive pride,” he noted. He recited the national anthem and encouraged the workers to always have the Nigeria of their dreams in mind as they went about their day-to-day endeavours.
“Work and business are important,” he said, “but family and salvation are of greater importance. And successful work means the attitude one brings to work.”
He narrated the history of St. Joseph the worker as was instituted by Pope Pius XII, noting that Saint Joseph was a worker who was contented as well as dedicated to his work. He urged every Christian to emulate Saint Joseph as a role model.
In an interview with Daily Sun after the event, the Regional President of the movement, Andrew Esan, said the idea of casual workers or outsourcing of workers as practised by many companies in Nigeria was a clear case of man’s inhumanity to man and should be stopped. He wondered how such companies could not engage the workers directly and pay them instead of going through third parties.
He also implored the workers to always find new ways of improving what they do, stating that doing same things repeatedly while expecting different results was pure capital insanity. He said irrespective of the economic situation, the youth must face each day by the power of God and burning desire to succeed. He regretted the excuse given by the youths who engage in drugs and other vices. He also chided youths who perpetrate acts of violence with the excuse that “our country and leaders have failed and so we are avenging with the guns and violence.”
He urged every employee or employer to maintain good relationship with those they work with even as he condemned the attitude of inflicting pains on others under any guise.
Outstanding youths, who had excelled in various assignments given to them by the church were given awards at the event.