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From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
A civil society organisation, Catch Them Young Community Initiative (CATYCOI), has lamented the growing level of insecurity and the upsurge of sexual and drug abuse in Anambra State.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr Nonso Orakwe, bewailed that the abuse of prohibited substances, killings, robbery and cult activities have become the order of the day in different parts of the state.
Orakwe made the lamentation in Awka, the state capital on Friday at a forum tagged ‘Civic Participation, Peace Building and Security among Youths in Anambra’, supported by LEAP Africa and Nigeria Youth Futures Fund.
“This gathering is to harness opinions and proffer solutions on how to better engage the youths, so that they can be a solution in the society rather than be the problem.
“We need to engage the youths, make them participate in governance, so we can have a peaceful and secured society.
“Economic development and prosperity can only thrive in a peaceful and secured environment”, he said.
Orakwe, however, called for urgent measures to address the menace as residents now live in fear and sleep with their eyes wide open.
Also speaking, Mr Casmir Ugochukwu, Youth Leader of Awka South Local Government Area, traced the cause of insecurity in the state to unemployment.
He said that there was a need for the government and private organisations to create more job opportunities for the teaming unemployed youths in the state.
“Our youths engage in criminal activities because there is unemployment. Government should prioritise youth empowerment to reduce crime rate”, he said.
On her part, Mrs Ify Unachukwu of Care Trust Development Initiative lamented the get-rich-quick syndrome and the culture of quick fixes among young people in the country.
“Our youths are now indulging in idolatry and ritualism to become rich. Girls are now endangered species as these boys now harass them to collect their underwear for rituals.
“Government and stakeholders need to intensify social orientation across communities. There is also a need for quick dispensation of justice to punish criminals as well as serve as deterrent”, she said.
In her remarks, Mrs Ify Chijioke of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), said that youth restiveness was a major challenge in the state; revealing, however, that the agency had embarked on sensitisation campaigns in schools and tertiary institutions in the state to drive value reorientation.
Programme officer of CATYCOI, Mr Israel Orji, identified advocacy visits to security agencies, religious and traditional rulers as well as sensitisation in schools and tertiary institutions as approaches to influence attitudes and social behaviours.
