Mr. John-Peter Amewu, Member of Parliament for Hohoe, has called for an aggressive revival of principles that safeguard humanity against outright moral decadence and social degradation.
He observed that immorality and other negative tendencies including corruption have eroded the core of humanity with the situation getting worse if nothing was done immediately to purge the system from further dip.
He said moral decadence lowers standards of chaste behaviour and creates new but lower criteria for societal values, ethical standards and justice.
Mr. Amewu, also Minister of Railway Development, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in an exclusive interview wondered why moral decadence could be engulfing the country and the world by extension, in the 21st Century, when access to information and technology was only a second away.
He said the school setting, which used to be a citadel for upright moral training as the authorities guided students with rigid regulations to shape their attitude for future endeavours is fast collapsing.
School settings were firmly crafted on discipline and respect for authority and those who flouted these laws and regulations were punished and under severe instances deboardinised to serve as deterrent to others.
Besides these, Schools mottos and anthems became the bedrock for shaping morality and uprightness which needed to be sustained.
He said the boisterousness and showmanship being exhibited by alumni of second cycle schools in relationship to the current students National Science and Mathematics Quiz competition at various venues continue to depict the power of School mottos and anthems as the rallying point due to identity and belongingness it carries.
Mr. Amewu said he continued to draw personal inspiration from the motto of St. Francis’ College, whose Demonstration Junior Secondary School, he attended and reads: PRO DEO, PRO PATRIA, meaning, FOR GOD AND COUNTRY.
Schools such as Mawuli, Bishop Hermann, Presec Legon, Achimota, OLA, and Mawuko Girls SHS all have their appropriate motto and anthems.
“Do you remember your school motto? And what inspiration have you drawn from it?
“Whatever we do, and in whatever capacity we find ourselves, let us remember, that when we work honestly, diligently, and selflessly, we are working for God.
“And that, apart from God, we should put our nation above every other thing. Patriotism, honesty, and hard work are core values that can help advance the cause of Ghana,” Mr. Amewu said.
A study has revealed that parental carelessness, peer influence, watching immoral films, unregulated media landscape, where media content is not censored, and poverty were contributing to the causes of moral decadence with the students of Senior High School being negatively affected.
The universities and other tertiary institutions are also sound on mottos and sometimes anthems. These institutions are closer to preparing students for the world of work and graduating them as great Teachers, committed Nurses, professional Accountants, learned Lawyers, Engineers, Doctors and what have you and of course, you will find yourselves in leadership positions.
Mr. Amewu said he would embark on an aggressive crusade to revive the principles that recognised morality, faith, values and high ethical standards that would bring cohesion and greater integration among people of different shades and life but beginning from his Constituency.
He noted that if the increasing moral decadence in society must be reduced, parents must apply the Biblical principles in training their children.
“It is the responsibility of parents to teach them the ways of God, train them in the way they should go, according to Proverbs 22:6.”
Source: GNA
