The Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim has reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to a secured Nigeria as one of the cardinal policies of the federal government where life will be in abundance.
She said the President has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to defense and security by taking proactive steps in conducting thorough assessment of the Office of the National Security Adviser, outrightly read riot act to Service and Intelligence Chiefs on the need to join forces to defeat all adversaries.
The Minister spoke at the lecture series put together by the Peace Corps of Nigeria in Abuja to mark its Founders Day where she called for concerted efforts on the part of all Nigerians to join forces with the federal government in the bid to battle the insecurity to standstill.
According to the minister, to adopt a culture of silence, while evil is seen being perpetrated, is to be a partner in crime.
She praised the Peace Corps of Nigeria for making the issues of security challenges prominent in its program adding that the themes are not only apt but also timely.
“In fact, the themes on security could not have come in another better time than now, when the spate of insecurity seems to be pervading many parts of the country in form of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, amongst other social vices.
“You may wish to note that, though the aforementioned social vices are not peculiar to Nigeria, however, they have been prevalent for more than a decade now, and have taken different dimensions, which make the whole scenario complex, and therefore attest to the theme of this anniversary.
“You may wish to note that some of the factors attributed to the security challenges in Nigeria include: economic, political and religious.
“Some school of thought believes that inequality in the distribution of economic resources has resulted in agitation and campaign against marginalization, which has forced some aggrieved individuals to take up arms against their supposed enemies.
“Another economic dimension attributed is the case of those who benefit from illegal business such as mining, allegedly sponsoring insecurity, in order to continue to perpetrate their heinous activities!
“Some other school of thought, however, attribute part of the security challenges to politically motivated factors, where unscrupulous politicians instigate violence against opponents for political gains!
“While other factor, according to other school of thought, is wrong religious indoctrination, which has pitched some uniformed individuals against people who do not share their religious belief, and therefore decide to unleash terror against them!
“Ladies and gentlemen, I think my few points above have, to some extent, highlighted complexities in the security challenges confronting Nigeria for some years back now.
“We can now appreciate why it seems all efforts being put in place by this current administration to curb this menace, seems to defile solutions and not yet yielding the desired results.
“It is crystal clear in all honesty, that the government of the day is committed to ensuring a secured Nigeria as one of the cardinal points of the ‘renewed hope agenda’ of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The President has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to defense and security, by taking proactive steps in conducting thorough assessment of the Office of the National Security Adviser, out rightly read riot act to Service and Intelligence Chiefs on the need to join forces to defeat all adversaries.
“The Federal Ministry of Youth Development on the other hand, in collaboration with other relevant organizations, also organizes programmes on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), peace building, counter-terrorism and violent extremism, in an attempt to dissuade Nigerian youth from getting involved in crimes, criminalities and violent extremism.
“It is, therefore, incumbent on all of us as patriotic citizens of this great nation to put all hands on deck and be ready to provide measures that would rid the country of criminalities.
“We must at all times adhere strictly to that popular slogan: ‘if you see something, say something’. These criminals, including their sponsors, are not spirit; they live in the midst of other people!
‘To adopt a culture of silence, while evil is seen being perpetrated, is to be a partner in crime.
‘While I commend Peace Corps Council and Peace Corps of Nigeria for organizating this programme, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development as a government establishment saddled with the responsibility of youth emancipation and development will continue to partner and collaborate with all youth oriented NGOs, to carry out its mandate, and ensure that the Nigerian youths attain their full potentials to be self-reliant, and contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
“Let us note that if the youth are gainfully engaged, crime rate will drastically reduce while peace and tranquility will prevail in a stable polity with socio-economic development”, the Minister said.