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Gyang Bere, Jos
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Solomon Dalung, has expressed the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari to address farmers/herdsmen clashes and its attendant killings in the country.
Dalung disclosed this, on Monday, in Jos, the Plateau State capital, during the opening ceremony of the National Peace Building and Conflict Resolution workshop for youth leaders and other stakeholders in North Central geopolitical zones, held at Eliel Centre Jos, Plateau State.
According to him, “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to address farmer/herdsmen clashes and other form of violence that has consumed lives of innocent persons in the country.
“Government is working hard to bring permanent peace in all sections of the country and our youth must always been seen as Ambassadors of peace, we must work collectively to enthrone peace in the entire country.”
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Adesola Olusade, urged youths in the country to resist any attempt of being used by individuals or group of persons to carry out unholy acts that could culminate in the loss of lives and properties.
National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dr. Dickson Akoh, in his remarks, decried how Nigerians youths were being used as thugs by politicians and other forms of criminalities in the country.
In the words of Akoh, “Alarmingly, in one of its reports, the UN Economic Commission for West African States damningly revealed that every year, over 900, 000 Nigerian youths graduate from both secondary and tertiary institutions. Out of this number, according to the reports, less than 10 percent of these youths have access to gainful employment.
“The remaining percentage of the youths, according to the report, end up in armed robbery, militancy, prostitution, political thuggery, drug trafficking, financial crimes as well as other heinous acts of criminality and of late terrorism. All these vices put together contribute immensely to insecurity in Nigeria.”
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, who was represented by Secretary to Government of the State, Hon. Rufus Bature, urged youths in the country to eschew violence and said Plateau was determined to provide lasting peace in the state.
“Effort must therefore be made to deliberately address all the peculiar needs and challenges that threaten the youth as vulnerable age group and a conservative population.”
