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Panelists Advise Nigerian Political Leader to Bridge the Gap with Youths to Curb Growing Violence Extremism

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Panelists Advise Nigerian Political Leader to Bridge the Gap with Youths to Curb Growing Violence Extremism

By: Michael Mike

Nigerian political leaders have been advised to close the existing gap between them and the country’s teeming youth population so as to curb growing violence extremism.

This was the submission of a team of panelists who spoke at the occasion heralding the 2024 International Day of Peace, with the theme: “Cultivating a culture of Peace” organised by the United States embassy in Abuja.

The lead Speaker, Rev. John Hayab, Global Peace Foundation in Nigeria who presented a paper on “Cultivating a Culture of Peace: The role of youth in promoting leadership and peace in Nigeria,” highlighted points why it is imperative for a peaceful atmosphere for development.

The panelists who spoke after the paper presentation all agreed with Rev. Hayab that the government need to engage the youth more, stressing the need for the youth to feel the impact of the government in their development so as to be committed to the country and deploy their strength positively.

The panelits are: Director of Baynakum family Counselling Centre, Abuja; Ustaz Abdulfattah Adeyemi; the Founder Transforming Church International Abuja, Dr. Rev. Sam Oye; and Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, Mr Rafiu Adeniran Lawal,

Dr. Adeyemi stressed the place of youth in peace building, warning against gagging the youth, saying looking at the calm surface is not the real peace.

He added that: “And yet, if we keep looking at them like that, there may come a time when they won’t be able to hold on any further.

“Let us not spoil the peace these young people are ready to embrace,” he warned, while charging the government to engage the youth.

He said: “So my appeal is for us not to let things just slide by. To listen to these young people.Get them engaged. Get them busy. Give them employment.

“Motivate them. Even if it is farming they want to go into, let them do their farming and enjoy their life. These are young people who know how to enjoy life.

“With small data on their phone, they can remove their anxieties. Just key into whatever is going on in the world, and they are okay.

” So I wish we can take note of this and begin to encourage our young people to begin to appreciate our culture.

“And to begin to understand that the culture of peace is not something that is negative. It has to be positive.

Oye on his part called for inclusivity and the need to get the youth on board.

He said that it is not about given positions alone but having them have a say in policies and programs of the government.

He added that the government can from time to time gather the youth and get their day on issues and by so doing they get to understand what the youth want.

He said this will go a long way to douse tension and reduce violence in the know how much they can contribute? It is when you begin to first of all recognize, because of inclusive leadership.

He said: “It begins first with recognition. And recognition has to do with diversity.The diverse competencies that our young people have is something that is very staggered.
“As leaders, not just including those who are affiliated to your party. But looking outside of your party, to look into these young people. Who are over 60%,

“They have so much to offer this country. And when Nigerian kids are not looking for anybody to feed them. Just give them opportunity to express themself. And you’ll be amazed at what our young people can do. It takes a secure leader to be an inclusive leader.

“I’m going to say that very strongly. It takes a secure leader to be an inclusive leader. And one of the challenges we have is the fact that we are not secure in ourselves.

“So it’s very difficult for us to include people who are diverse to us.

“I would challenge our leaders to be safe and know that the children you give birth to have something to do to make a huge difference in the country that you give birth to them in. These kids can make a world of difference.

“Mark Zuckerberg has made a difference today and I think there are other Mark Zuckerbergs in our country who have given the opportunity to express themselves.”

He further added, “So I think the best way to prevent violence is to let the young people know that it’s supposed to be violence against hunger and poverty, not against their own state, without which they cannot achieve anything.

“So we will not destroy our nation. We should rather use that aggression to build a great nation. I hope I’ve said something.”

Oye also added that: “And I don’t see a young man who wants to fight a country that is part of his development. The reason it is easier for our young people to destroy anything in the country is because the country is detached from their development.
“An average Nigerian kid today does not know government. He sees government as someone to fight because in all of our children’s developmental stages, government is absent. Why shouldn’t I fight something that got my father out of work? Why shouldn’t I fight something that did not allow my mother to get along? That’s the only government I know, my mother, who took care of me, who is in care of me, my father.

“So we’re saying that if government wants to reduce all of this tension, all those little little things, such programs that equip our young people and empower them are very critical to the development of this country and to the minimization of violence.”

Lawal in his intervention pointed out that all the youth needed to function as agent of peace is little support, noting that the youth need to engage more so as to move with trend.

He said: “All they need is support to function effectively as agents of peace.

“The society that we live in. Is one that is not open to Change and then if we are going to make any meaningful transformation then we have to present ourselves as advocates rather than as activists.”

He added, “In any way,this space as we speak is traditionally closed. It will not be open automatically. So you have to force your way in. So that we can continue.”

Lawal added that young people still prefer to be peaceful despite the country’s shortcoming to make provision for them; adding that those who decided to be violents are circumstantial perpetrators and do not represent the majority of young Nigerians who are contributing amazingly to the development of the country.

Panelists Advise Nigerian Political Leader to Bridge the Gap with Youths to Curb Growing Violence Extremism

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President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

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President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

By: Bodunrin Kayode

President Bola Tinubu will today visit the Plateau state capital Jos to commiserate with residents who lost loved ones during the Palm Sunday shooting spree by criminals that took place at Angwa rukuba area of the city.

The President who was scheduled to visit Ogun state postponed his scheduled trip to Iperu, meant to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport.

From the Plateau, the President is expected to travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday public holiday which ushers the beginning of the Easter public holiday which rounds up the lent period.

A state house release signed yesterday by the Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga noted that President Tinubu will travel to Ogun State for the commissioning of the Cargo Airport and the inauguration of two commercial aircrafts for the export and import of goods, aimed at boosting the state’s economic growth on Saturday April 4th.

“He will also inaugurate the new edifice of the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service and its operational vehicles.

“He will return to Lagos to continue the Easter holiday, during which he is also expected to commission infrastructural projects undertaken by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“These projects include: the iconic Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge; the Lagos State Geographic Information System Building; the Multi-Agency Complex named after the President, and a school Complex.

“Before returning to Abuja, President Tinubu will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission some of Governor Duoye Diri’s completed projects.” Said the release.

Sadly several residents lost their lives during the black Palm Sunday shooting spree which is suspected to have been carried out by auto bike riding bandits following after their patterns in the hinterlands of the state.

These bandits who had tormented, killed and destroyed homes of residences of the Jos north axis of the state for several years after September 7th 2001

This damnation let loose on innocent residents is resurfacing after hundreds of killings had occurred in the Jos North council area of the state from September 7th 2001 till date.

And because of the myriad of challenges creeping into the federal security system sub regionals have geared up to manage their on police and Intel services which would assist greatly because they are masters of their territories.

The Federal government is fast tracking the process of state police to ensure that each sub nationals take charge of their environment to ensure that they support the center in the maintenance of internal security.

President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre

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NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

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NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said that in 2026, the length of the rainy season in Gombe State is expected to be between 107 and 138 days.

This is contained in the Agency’s 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) document, which Gayus Musa, the meteorological manager for Gombe State, made available to Our Correspondent in Gombe on Tuesday.

The total amount of rainfall across Gombe State in 2026 is predicted to be between 701 mm in the northern part of the state (Nafada) and 1089 mm in the South (Shongom).

The onset of the rainfall is expected to commence in the state on May 29 (Shongom) and cease by October 22 (Yamaltu/Deba).

Similarly, in the prediction, four local government areas of the state, namely: Nafada, Yamaltu/Deba, Dukku and Funakaye were likely to be impacted by a severe dry spell (21 days and above) between June and August.

Musa while speaking to Our Correspondent on the first rainfall experienced in some communities in Akko, Gombe and Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Areas of the state on Monday urged farmers to resist the temptation of early planting of crops.

He described the first rain as false onset, explaining that the rainfall was false because it would not support any germination as seeds planted with such rain would not survive.

“This (first rain) is a false onset because the precipitation cannot carry any germination and so any seed planted would not survive.

“So farmers should not engage themselves in planting but to prepare their farmlands while getting their seeds and other inputs ready,” he said.

Musa advised farmers in the state, to make use of the prediction in carrying out farming activities towards avoiding losses in view of the impact of climate change on agriculture.

He further urged relevant authorities in the state to take proactive measures towards tackling environmental issues associated with the rainy season.

NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe

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Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

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Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

By: Michael Mike

The rumoured interest of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar in becoming the governor of Bauchi State come 2027 may have been confirmed he resigned on Monday to prepared ground for actualization of his political ambition.

The resignation was ahead of the deadline set for political appointees seeking elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.

In a resignation letter submitted to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Tuggar expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country and contribute to the implementation of the administration’s Four-D foreign policy strategy.

The former minister also appreciated the management and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the diplomatic community for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure.

During his time in office, Tuggar was credited with advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives through initiatives focused on people-centred diplomacy. These included humanitarian evacuations, facilitation of scholarships for Nigerians abroad, and sustained support for citizens in the diaspora.

His tenure also witnessed increased diaspora engagement, including efforts to develop a structured database of Nigerians living abroad aimed at strengthening their participation in national development.

In addition, Tuggar strengthened bilateral and multilateral relations through strategic engagements with traditional partners and regional alliances, particularly across the Global South. His leadership also promoted regional security cooperation and supported the formation of the Regional Partnership for Democracy initiative.

He also prioritised economic diplomacy, positioning Nigeria as an attractive destination for foreign investment, especially in the energy sector, while facilitating diplomatic interventions that secured the release of detained Nigerians in foreign countries and improved bilateral relations.

The resignation letter was received on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by Dr. Abubakar Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, ahead of the March thirty-first deadline directed by President Tinubu in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.

Tuggar’s resignation was conveyed in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir.

Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship

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