From Abel Leonard, Lafia

A former member of the House of Representatives and one-time governorship aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, has said a poor standard of education, poverty, lack of involvement of youths in government affairs, among other factors, are responsible for insecurity in the country.

Wadada disclosed this during the two-day youth and security summit organised by the National Youth Council of Nigeria on Tuesday at the Taal Conference Hotel, Lafia, Nasarawa.

Wadada also explained that emphasis should be given to the engagement of youth in governance towards reshaping and sustaining peace, adding that there is the need to develop new political ideology and revamp the education sector to meet global standards.

Daily Sun reports that the National Youth Council of Nigeria had embarked on a two-day peace and security summit, in a bid to discuss challenges of youths, proffer solutions and consolidate peace for nation-building.

In his welcome address, Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria Nasarawa State chapter, Idris Ojoko, explained that the aim of the peace and security summit is to engage youths towards providing positive contributions to peacebuilding and the fight against insecurity across the country.

According to the chairman, ‘youths are vulnerable to fermenting trouble, there is the need to change their perception.’

Idris Ojoko also noted that the Nigerian youths are barely involved in the affairs of the Nigerian government.

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Adding that the need to involve young people is vital as they are blessed with talents and great potential and when given the opportunity ‘their contributions will be useful for national development.’

He urged the Nigerian government to engage youths through empowerment and creating job opportunities to reduce youth restiveness.

While declaring the youth summit open, Nasarawa State Governor. Abdullahi Sule said the security challenges in the state is relatively fair, saying the state government have had series of programs that engages the youths and will continue to do more to ensure that youth are able to showcase their potentials for the development of the state.

According to the governor, who was represented by Nasarawa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon Othman Bala Adam, the state government already has a security plan that is working and would do all it takes to sustain the plan.

Speaking in his goodwill message, the chairman of the occasion, Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, cautioned the Nigerian youths to shun all manner of distractions threatening the peace of the nation saying, ‘it should be assumed as a duty.’

The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mohammed Abdulkarim, explained that religion, ethnicity and political parties are part of the major causes of insecurity in the country.

‘Desist from any form of criminality and shun political thuggery for peace and development of the country,’ he warned.

Daily Sun reports that government officials, youths representative of various states, security agencies, stakeholders, traditional and religious leaders, among others, were in attendance.