2023: Promote peace not violence, traditional, women leaders tell youths in Gombe
The Bala Waja of Waja Chiefdom, Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed and other women leaders have cautioned youth in Gombe state against violence ahead of the 2023 general elections while urging them to promote peaceful coexistence.
They gave the advice in separate interviews with newsmen on Thursday in Gombe on the sideline of peace mitigation training for grassroots community leaders in the state.
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The training was organised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its state accountability, transparency, and effectiveness (State2State) activity.
Mohammed advised that as 2023 approached, youth should not allow any politician to use them to cause chaos, destroy lives and property and at the end of the day abandoned them with nothing.
“We are calling the attention of the youth, let them mind their business. If any politicians tells them to do something that is not good, they should ask the politicians to bring out their children for the assignment.
“If they cannot produce their children for the same job they ask you to do, know that job is not good,’’ he cautioned.
According to him, getting youth to steer clear of violence and use of hate speech was a major challenge, “that is why we have been having series of engagement with them.’’
He stated that his chiefdom witnessed some pockets of violence in recent time where lives and property were destroyed, adding that violence was not the best way of resolving any issue.
The royal father, however, stated that several engagements with the government and other relevant stakeholders were still being carried out to ensure that the prevailing peace continued in the chiefdom.
Mohammed commended USAID State2State activity for the capacity building for community leaders, adding that the training was good and a welcome development to empower grassroots stakeholders with skills to mitigate conflicts.
“That is why I decided to come in person. I had wanted to send a representative but when they told me the topic of the training I felt it was necessary for me to be here myself,” he said
Mrs Zainab Akawu, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Women Wing Leader, Gombe state chapter advised youth to be “calm and wise”.
She advised them not to allow any politician to corrupt their minds with money and hard drugs with the aim of causing violence.
“Don’t allow anyone to mislead you into any act that can destroy lives and property in the name of politics; it’s not worth it.
“You must be careful; don’t allow anybody that cannot use his or her child for political activities to use you as we approach 2023,” she said.
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Akawu also pleaded with the youth and women to take advantage of the voter’s card registration to register and get their permanent voter cards ahead of the 2023 elections.
Hajiyah Hafsat Inuwa, the organising secretary, Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Gombe state chapter appealed to youth to promote peace and jettison whatever would breach peace ahead of the 2023 general elections.
