Abdul Ozumi Aliu
The Nigerian Youth Parliament, in collaboration with Kano State Youth Coalition for Advocacy and Development (KayCad), and Coalition of Civil Society Organization for Peace and Development, 7 November, 2020 organized a one-day summit with tagged “Peace for Development”.
The summit was irked by the recent EndSARS protests that created the dusty atmosphere of insecurity leading to loss of lives and properties across the major cities in Nigeria; it had stakeholders brainstorming on salient issues that could be useful in preempting any form of violence in the state.
In his opening remarks, ACP Uzairu Abdullahi who stood in for the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Abu Abdullahi Sanni extolled the virtue of peace, reiterating that nothing meaningful can be achieved in its absence, as violence halts and hurts all forms human activities.
“Peace, peace, peace, that is what we all want because it is when you have peace, you have freedom. It is when there is peace, you can go to mosque or church to worship God. It is when there is peace you can go to the market and do other activities “, he emphasized.
The ACP Uzairu said: “The cardinal responsibilities of the police is to maintain peace and ensure lives and properties are protected”.
“With the recent development across the country, the Kano State Police Command, through the command’s engagement in the community police drive was able to ensure that the vices that came with the EndSARS protests in states like Lagos, Osun, Ondo and Abuja did not escalate to Kano State”.
He urged the organizers to continue preaching the sermon of peace, adding that the youths are the vanguard of peaceful coexistence, and they must live up to such bidding.
The Honorable Commissioner of Youth and Sport, Comrade Kabiru Ado Lakwaya commended the organizers of the summit, accentuating that it is commendable that the youths are taking their place as enforcers of peaceful society devoid of any form of violence and vices, be it ethnic or religious.
The Comrade Lakwaya also commended the Kano State government for recognizing the importance of youths in the state, pointing out that the recent creation of the ministry for Youth and Sport was enough to buttress the state government’s commitment to youth development.
Also speaking at the summit, Professor Kamilu Fagge pointed out that the youth have great roles to play in promoting peace and harmony, stressing that Nigeria is a multi-cultural, multi ethnic and multi religious country; the youths must play the important role of ensuring unity in diversity.
“If the youth are not united for peace, then there are gloom and doom days ahead of the country”, he cautioned.
He then advised the youths to shun violence and all form of vices that would put the country in further state of perpetual insecurity, and to refuse to be manipulated by others because of their selfish interests.
The summit had in attendance the Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Abu A. Sanni, ably represented by ACP Uzaira Abdullahi, the Kano State Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Comrade Kabiru Ado Lakwaya, Professor Adama Hassan, Director, Centre for Gender Studies, BUK, Rev. Samaila Joshua Awake for CAN Youth Wing, NUJ Chairman, Comrade Abba Ibrahim, MD Karota, Dr Baffa Baba Dan Agudi and several other stakeholders.
