Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West) on Thursday advised youths not to allow themselves to be used by desperate politicians to fulfil their selfish ambitions. Melaye said this at the end of the year Gala night and award ceremony of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) in Abuja. “The youths in the country are change agents because in an unjust society, silence is a crime. The youths should develop their positive dreams. “The youths should wake up and act fast, as youths we must not sleep and we should not be divided by religion, culture, tradition, and it is time to say bye to terrorism,’’ he said.
However, Melaye said the PCN would not only be relevant in security of Nigerians but instrument to the revolution of Nigerian youths. He enjoined the youths to always promote the change mantra of the present administration for a better future. A Human Right Activist, Mr Femi Falana, called for the endorsement of the Peace Corps Bill in order to be an act of parliament. He said the PCN would be a pillar of social change and growth, advising the organisation to educate and re-orientate youths when passed into law. “This organisation should go out and mobilise our youths as many of them were suffering from ignorance. “The youths are been used to stage demonstrations in support of corruption, am challenging this organisation to change some of the wrong mind set of youths,’’ Falana said.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung, said the PCN was a significant milestone in the history of youth development in Nigeria. He said the empowerment of the youths would reduce some of the challenges of young persons in the country. Dalung blamed the crisis in the National Youth Council on interference by politicians and others not within the age bracket of youths but using the group for their selfish motives.
He urged the youths to change their mind set and disengage from indiscipline and negative values. The Commandant PCN, Mr Dickson Akoh, said the organisation was solution to the malaise of unemployment bedevilling the Nigerian youths and its attendance to social consequences on the nation. “It will empower, develop and provide alternative employment for the youths with a view to facilitate peace, volunteerism, community services, nation building and other related matters. “We will however redouble our efforts in 2017 in order to justify for an act to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps, we know there is always room for improvement,’’ he said. (NAN)
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