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Stakeholders Want Youths To Work For Nigeria’s Unity

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National Orientation Agency, Nigeria Police Force and Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, an NGO, have called on youths to be positive army and work in opposition to those trying to enthrone disorder in Nigeria.
The call for youths to protect Nigeria’s unity was made at the 2021 Nigeria’s National Youth Dialogue on Peace and Security on Thursday in Abuja.
Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Garba Abari said the event, which was in commemoration of the International Youth Day, called for youths to rise up to their responsibilities.
“I am from Borno one of the most security challenged areas and I know how much youths are doing in either escalating the conflict and threatening peace or trying to restore peace and engendering security.
“As head of Nigeria’s major citizens’ engagement agency, NOA, it is part of our mandate to orientate Nigerians toward behaving in a peaceful secured and disciplined way in the society.
“You cannot do that without engaging 70 per cent or more Nigeria’s population of the young people; so as a citizen’s engagement agency I have one particular concern which is drugs addiction among youths.
“Many youths, both skilled and unskilled have started to lose hope and see closing opportunities; skilled young men from school without proper engagement, unskilled young men with no employable skills,” he said.
Abari said that such youths therefore go on drugs and create an addiction, which their pockets could not sustain so they start petty crimes and then big crimes.
He said these were the acts that eventually escalated into insecurity challenges as they began to kidnap for ransom, killings, among others to meet up their addiction.
Frank Mba, Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), said unity of the country could not be negotiated.
He said that Nigerians live in very trying times when countries all over the world not just Nigeria were experiencing forces trying to pull them apart.
“My message here is to encourage every one of us to be part of that larger population of Nigerians working together to neutralise the effect of those pushing for disorder, violence and criminality.
“We need to work together to bring our country back to the path of sanity, Nigerian youths have the energy, the power of organisation and the capacity so they can really play major roles in setting the agenda of our country right,’’ he said.
Mba however called for capacity building for youths, financial and political inclusion as well as job opportunities for youths to live to their full potential.
He said doing this would make it easy for the force to deal with crimes and criminality when majority of Nigeria youths were positively engaged.
A young traditional ruler, Falowo Moyinoluwa, Regent of Ibule Kingdom in Ondo State urged youths as the future of Nigeria not to give up on the nation because that would be tantamount to giving up on themselves.
Moyinoluwa said that since youths were involved in vices leading to insecurity in the country, it therefore behoved on them to also be the solution providers.
“This programme is apt because we need to rekindle faith and believe in our hearts, so this gathering will come up with solutions for the security and economic situation of our country,’’ she said.
Mr Rafiu Lawal, the Executive Director, Building Blocks for Peace and Foundation said that the event was an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of youths to conflict prevention, peace building and sustainable development.
Lawal said that the event would explore the critical role of youths in fostering Inter-cultural dialogue and inter-ethnic relations in Nigeria as the world commemorated the 2021 International Day of Youth.
“This event will also access the level of implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda as encapsulated by the UN Security Resolution 2250 (2015), and African Union Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security (2020).
“The youth dialogue aims to interrogate the underlying factors of violent conflicts and harness youth capacities to transform the conflicts for the promotion of a peaceful and secure Nigeria desired by all citizens.
“It is our expectations that this dialogue will result in the adoption of the position paper on the hashtag #OurDiversityOurPride #PeaceAboveAll with key recommendations for implementation by relevant stakeholders,’’ he said.
Lawal said that the national dialogue would foster open communication and intercultural learning among young people from diverse ethnicity and background, raising awareness and educate youth on interfaith and intercultural dialogue within Nigeria.
He said that it would also create a youth facilitation platform that would ensure meaningful adhesion and participation of youth in the implementation of the strategies among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, CLEEN Foundation, NOA, African Union among others.

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Anglican Bishop Urges Politicians To Lead With Integrity

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The Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Niger Delta, Dr Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, has called on Nigerians, especially those in positions of authority to uphold moral standard and integrity.
Oko-Jaja said this at a thanksgiving service to mark the 90th birthday of Prof. Sylvanus Cookey at Saint Paul Anglican Church in Opobo Town, Rivers yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that Cookey was the second Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in 1982.
Oko-Jaja advised political leaders to always be self-aware and avoid actions that could damage their reputation.
“In today’s Nigeria, hardship has changed how the people behave, as lies have become more popular than the truth.
“We now live in a country where injustice is now celebrated and lowering moral and social standard have become the new normal.
“Leaders must follow the exemplary legacies set by our forebears by becoming upright and live a life that would not bring shame to their family and community,” he said.
He attributed the country’s current economic challenges and declining living standards to leaders failing to prioritise the well-being of citizens.
“The younger generation should emulate the virtues of our predecessors like Prof. Cookey, who prioritised integrity over material gain.
“Good reputation was the norm back then, and I hope that God will restore it to Nigeria, where leaders’ goal will be to have good names.
“If anyone wants to commit evil, they should remember that their actions can bring a bad name to their family and community,” he cautioned.
Addressing the celebrant, the King of Opobo Kingdom, HRM Dandason Jaja, praised Cookey for his impact on society and described him as a mentor and philanthropist.
He said that the celebrant was a distinguished academic, who had impacted numerous youths through vocational training, leading to their successful employment in different sectors.
Speaking earlier, Cookey expressed gratitude to God for attaining 90 years and acknowledged the support of his family and friends.
Reflecting on his contributions to the country, he encouraged leaders to leave behind positive legacies for future generations to celebrate.

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Senators, Reps To Resume Plenary In Remodelled Main Chambers

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Nineteen months after federal lawmakers movement to  temporary chambers,  the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives would finally resume sittings in  their  newly remodelled main hallowed chambers tomorrow
Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Akin Rotimi Jnr, and the Clerk to the Senate, Barrister Chinedu Akubueze confirmed the planned movement to the main chambers in separate written announcements made penultimate week on the change in resumption date by lawmakers from their ongoing recess.
Hon. Rotimi, who is the chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, in the official announcement dated April 4, 2024 to the honourable members, cited the need to resume plenary at the renovated and reconfigured main chamber, as reason for the postponement in line with the general wish of the lawmakers.
“The House of Representatives wishes to inform the public and stakeholders of the rescheduling of the resumption date from the ongoing recess, originally slated for Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to  Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
“This adjustment is necessary to accommodate the completion of renovations to the main chamber of the House of Representatives to ensure its readiness for plenary sessions, henceforth,” he stated.
Two days after, the Clerk to the Senate also issued a statement, postponing resumption of plenary by the Senate from April 16 to 23, 2024.
Akubueze ‘s statement reads in part: “Distinguished Senators are hereby invited to note that the resumption of the plenary sitting of the Senate, which was scheduled for Tuesday, 16th April, 2024, has been postponed to Tuesday 23rd April, 2024”
It would be recalled that ahead of the projects delivery, the Site Engineer of Visible Construction, Tajudeen Olanipekun, had early last month informed journalists covering the Senate, that the two main chambers, would be ready for use by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in April this year.
Olanipekun’s assurance on delivery of the fully transformed and reconfigured hallowed chambers to management of the National Assembly, coincided with call by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to the Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA, Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambawal that both the Senate and the House of Representatives, want to move to their main chambers as soon as possible after close to two years of using temporary ones.
In carrying out the subtle marching order, the construction firm in the last five weeks has carried out the required finishings on
the upgraded and reconfigured hallowed chambers fixed with state-of-the-art chairs, parliamentary equipments,  appliances and extended sitting terraces.
Physically, the entire ambience of the space in and around the hallowed chambers have been transformed, just as barricades used to restrict movements at the foyer have been removed.
The  Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, had in March 2021 awarded a N30billion renovation contract to Visible Construction Limited to rehabilitate critical segments of the National Assembly complex.
The law makers had in September  2022 vacated the main chambers to enable the Contractors;   handle the renovation work of both chambers
Some of the critical segments are the office buildings housing the office accommodation for the senators and honourable members, watertightness of the roof of the complex, the cooling system, replacement of lifts that are inoperable in the White House as well as in the House of Representatives and in the new Senate Wing among others.

By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja

 

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Police Commence Recruitment Process In Anambra, Enugu

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The Zone 13 of the Nige- rian Police Force, comprising Anambra and Enugu States, has announced the venue and time for both General Duty and Specialist Constable recruitment medical screening in the two States.
This is contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Ihunwo, yesterday in Enugu.
Ihunwo said that prospective candidates from Zone 13 should note that the exercise would take place at Police Hospital, Awka.
She said that the medical screening would commence simultaneously nationwide on Tuesday, April 16, and end on April 30, 2024.
“Candidates are advised to visit the recruitment portal: https://apply.policerecruitment.gov.ng to know their status, specific time, date and other mandatory requirements.
“So also, qualified applicants are to appear in clean white T-shirt and short with the following requirements;
“National Identity Card/Slip; Print Out of Medical Examination Slip and all necessary documents.
“The Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 13 Command, AIG Godwin Aghaulor, wishes all prospective candidates success as they embark on this exercise,” he said.

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