A stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Kogi State has sounded the alarm on the growing menace of kidnapping, abduction, and banditry in Nigeria.
The meeting, which was organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Kogi Directorate on Thursday in Lokoja, emphasised the need for unity and cohesion to tackle these social vices.
The campaign, tagged: “Pathway to National Cohesion Unity and Development”, highlighted the alarming rate of kidnapping and banditry in the state.
In his remarks, Mr Patrick Edogbanya, the state Director of NOA, said as part of a nationwide campaign, the meeting brought together stakeholders to chart a pathway to eliminating these challenges and promoting national development.
He said the nationwide campaign was aimed to achieve unity and cohesion as a nation to eliminate all kinds of social disorder so as to achieve development.
Edogbanya, who was represented by Pst. Augustine Ogbonnikan, HOD Programmes, added that the campaign seeks public cooperation to create a safe society where citizens can live without fear.
He, therefore, urged authorities and security agencies to work together to stop the menace in the society, by rebuilding of the educational and industrial sector to address unemployment.
“Let us bring back our lost values:- discipline, hard work, duty of care, tolerance and respect, transparency and Nigeria will be great again,” Edogbanya said.
Pst. Augustine Mayowa Ogbonnikan, Assistant Director and Head of Civic Values and Democracy Education, NOA, Kogi, in his paper presentation, attributed the issue to attitudinal problems and a lack of moral values.
Ogbonnikan emphasised that the nation’s strength is built on the values and attitudes of its citizens, and called for collective action to address the challenge.
The nationwide campaign, he said, seeks to foster unity and cohesion, eradicate social vices, and drive national development.
“By working together and bringing back lost values, Nigeria can regain its lost glory and ensure a brighter future for its citizens,” he said.
Participants in their separate comments, stressed the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders, including parents, authorities, and security agencies, to rebuild the educational and industrial sectors.
They urged government to address unemployment, and restore lost values such as discipline, hard work, and respect.
The meeting also highlighted the vulnerability of Nigerian youths to these social vices, citing the desire for quick wealth and luxury as a major driver of crime.
Participants urged parents to provide adequate training and monitor their children’s associations to divert them from such activities.
The stakeholders at the event include: Traditional and religious leaders, security agencies, NGOs, women and youth groups, media organisations, students, among others.