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By Adewale Banjo
The Federal Government has been urged to take a second look at issues concerning anti-social behaviour, especially among youths in the society.
The call was made by Basirat Olamide Dada, convener of Youth Rights Agenda, a pressure group that promotes issues affecting the youths in the country.
According to the group, recent developments, within the polity, have made it expedient for the government to take a closer look at issues around anti-social behaviour, given how it has negatively impacted youths.
Dada, a 20-year-old activist, who spoke virtually from Dublin at a youth seminar with the theme: “Taking another look at youths and government approach to anti-social behaviour,” organised by Youth For Attitudinal Change in Lagos, lamented that lot of youths have gone into depression because of the attitude of government and the society to anti-social behaviour.
“One cannot but be saddened with the way the government and the society treats what they consider anti-social behaviour in Nigeria. I believe the issue of social behaviour is a matter of human rights.
“If you don’t want people to toe a particular pattern of life, the best approach is to adopt persuasion instead of threatening those involved. My experience was not funny while in Nigeria, as I faced threats and persecution from family and friends. Worse still, I had to flee Nigeria because of the risk of being killed or serving a jail term of 14 years as prescribed by law.
“Personally, I think the authorities, families, and the society, at large, should take a second look at the issue of social behaviour because we are talking about an issue concerning mostly youths who are the leaders of tomorrow.
“Nigerian youths are very talented, they need every protection from the system, instead of being harassed by security agencies, especially the police, over their convictions. There is no place like home, but there has to be justice for all no matter their beliefs, as a situation where the youths have to run away from their place of birth due to threats and harassment is barbaric and unjust,” she said.
