Why Integrating Community Youths Key To Solving Insecurity Problems — Youth Group
In the wake of Nigeria’s multidimensional security problems, the Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA), FCT chapter, on Thursday 21st of September, 2023 organized stakeholders security summit with the theme: Integrating FCT Youth in the Fight against Crime and Extremism.
The Director General, Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Safety Affairs, Amb. Ade Mario Emmanuel said the government alone cannot fight crime without involving the youths who are there in the street.
He added that “in every local community in FCT, we have vibrant youths who have lived simple and decent lives,” saying that “synergy with youth will help in curbing criminal activities in the community.
“The government often speaks about how much effort and resources have gone into addressing security challenges. If that is the case, how do we explain growing reports of farmers-herders clashes, armed banditry, kidnapping and the activities of Boko Haram? There is need to invest and integrate the youth to yield positive results”, he said.
Speaking on the importance of the summit, the Director General said “Events like this will help stabilize the country, adding that in so doing “Nigeria can truly assume her greatness in the comity of nations.”
He said life has adequately prepared CONYSSA to complement conventional security agencies to carry out the task of addressing Nigeria’s plethora of security challenges.
Speaking also, the Publisher/ CEO of Aluta News, Gambo Haruna Jagindi stated that
“if we are able to bridge the information gap, it will help with effective planning and response.
“Working with the youths who will serve as information providers will be the fastest way for our security officers to curb Insecurity. For this reason, there is need to integrate the FCT youth to achieve sustainable peace in FCT”, he said.
Jagindi added that community engagement should be a two-way process, where community members are not only providing information to the authorities, but also have the opportunity to voice their concerns and have their input taken into consideration in security policies.
Speaking earlier, the President CONYSSA, FCT Chapter, Comrade Zaka Nehemiah stated that the Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Nigeria affairs as a pan Nigerian organization and the largest paramilitary and uniform representative organization in Nigeria and Africa has a responsibility to represent and defend Nigerians’ concerns and interests in the matter of security, which is the collective duty of all citizens.
The Summit took place at the backdrop of the increase in terrorism, banditry and all shades of criminality including abductions and killings in FCT and Nigeria at large.
Nehemiah, who tasked the political elites to take responsibility for the actions they take while in office, urged them to integrate community youths as this is key to tackling insecurities in the communities.
He observed that there is a clear nexus between throwing workers out of jobs, the rapidly increasing unemployment and the rising waves of insecurities in the country.
According to him, “the temperament of this Summit is moderated by the ILO Recommendation 205 on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience which recognizes the importance of employment, empowerment and decent work for promoting peace, preventing crisis situations arising from conflicts and disasters, enabling recovery and building resilience.”
While sympathizing with the families of the fighteen persons being abducted in Kawu Ward of Bwari Area Council Abuja, he narrated how some persons were killed, saying that “A few days ago, sixty persons were killed in Gwagwalada Area Council and their houses razed. It is so bad that many farmers have abandoned their farms, exposing all of us to the grim prospect of acute food shortage.
“There is no doubt that the insecurity situation has degenerated and more security challenges are facing FCT today outside the Boko Haram which has been there for sometime.
“Today in FCT, we have security situation ranging from one chance drivers, bababolas, cars without plate numbers, while some with double plate numbers, street lights not working and so on.
“The security situation in FCT has evolved into a very serious challenge”, the President said.
“This is the reason we organized this summit tagged: FCT Youth Stakeholders Peace and Security Summit in order to bring key stakeholders, both state and non-state actors to discuss the way out of this crisis that seems to have defied every solution so far.
“This is why we have brought together seasoned experts under the chairmanship of Hon. Shittu Muhammed, OFR, who believes in the unity of the country”.
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