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Abandonment of youths, ticking time bomb – Arewa Forum

Published

July 1, 2021

Nothern governors abandonement of Youths, Arewa Consultative Forum

Arewa Consultative Forum has stated that the northern governors’ abandonment of youths in the region over time is a bomb waiting to explode.

It said the abandonment has led to a high level of insecurity, particularly in the north.

The forum also insisted on dialogue with other regional groups, such as the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organization, Afenifere, its counterpart in the South East, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, to enthrone peace in the north and Nigeria in general, Vanguard reports.

Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the group, Ambassador Shehu Malami, noted that the insecurity caused by this abandonment of the youth culminated in the banditry, kidnapping, herders/farmers clashes that had also spread to other parts of the country.

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According to him, the failure of governors in the north to address the negative socio-economic situation youths from the region were going through, which had pushed most of them into criminality, has set the north backward by many years.

“It appears our leadership in the north is yet to understand and appreciate the bad situation of our youths. They are a time bomb which can explode at any given moment,’’ he said.

He explained that it was utterly injurious and catastrophic to delay any action to salvage the youths from lethargy, drugs, and substance abuse as well as despondency, banditry, and many more vices they could think of.

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According to him, no sensible being will be happy to rely on any form of palliative, as every average person would want to earn his living.

He said, “Our leaders must show enough seriousness on the future well-being of the youths. They must find the way and means to encourage them in productive activities.

‘’As critical stakeholders, it behooves on us to conscientiously address our state governments in the north to take decisive actions towards industrialising the region.

“Northern governors and persons of means should be in a position to establish banking and other financial institutions to facilitate growth and development.

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‘’Solid minerals and other resources abound in every state of our region which should be tapped as a matter of priority and urgency for our collective good.

“Our governments in the region should be made to understand this fact; to neglect agriculture is to court disaster and peril to ourselves.

“Boko Haram insurgency, Fulani wanton killings, and kidnappings, herders/farmers face off, and other insurgent groups masquerading as the Fulani, have come to pose a more security challenge facing the governments and citizens, particularly in the north.”