By Our Reporter
Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Sunday Dare says the Federal Government is committed to ending restiveness in parts of the country through youths engagement.
Dare said this during a youth security summit in Enugu organised by Ndigbo Youth Parliament (NYP).
The minister was represented at the event by an Assistant Director in the ministry, Mrs Lami Bature.
He said that the youths were the greatest assets for the development of the country, adding that there were deliberate efforts to empower them..
He said that the Federal Government had through the ministry rolled out National Action Plans aimed at engaging the youths through skills development and empowerment.
Dare applauded the NYP for organising the event, adding that the Federal Government was determined to cooperate with them to ensure lasting peace and security in the South-East.
Also, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, urged the youths to carry the message of peace and security to the rural areas.
Aliyu, who was represented by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Independence Layout, CSP Clever Eluha, said that the hoodlums were taking refuge in bushes in the hinterlands.
The police commissioner said that the police command would align with whatever resolutions that were reached at the summit, adding “whenever you call on us, we will assist to ensure the country is safe.”
Earlier, the Speaker of NYP, Mr Rikki Nwajiofor, said that the security summit became necessary following the rising spate of insecurity in the region.
Nwajiofor said that it was worrisome that the South-East that was hitherto adjudged as the most peaceful region in the country had suddenly become volatile.
He said that the group condemned the spate of killings and destruction of national infrastructure in the region.
The speaker also condemned the extrajudicial killing of innocents youths in the area by security agencies and appealed to them to adhere to their rules of engagement.
“We have examined the incidents and found the need for urgent roundtable between NYP and security agencies.
“It is disturbing that this is happening at a time we are on an aggressive campaign for the business moguls and technocrats from the zone to repatriate part of their investments to the region,” he said.
Nwajiofor said that the youths in the zone would, henceforth, work together to engender peaceful coexistence.
Ikengaonline reports that representatives of military and paramilitary organisations were present during the event.
The theme of the summit was, “Nipping Insecurity in the Bud via Dialogue and Sensitisation”.
