Jonathan, on Wednesday appealed to
Nigerian youths to always put the nation
first and embrace peace to foster
development in the country.
Jonathan said this while receiving various
youth leaders who visited the State
House in Abuja as part of activities ahead
of the National Youth Peace Concert.
The concert is scheduled for Saturday,
March 8 in Abuja.
The youth leaders, who were led by three
personalities, said they were at the Villa
to chart a course for the concert.
The three personalities included Mike
Omeri, Director-General, National
Orientation Agency (NOA), and Onyeka
Onwenu, Director-General, National
Women Development Centre (NWDC).
The other one is Jude Imagwe, the Special
Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan
on Youth and Student Affairs.
"I invited you here today for two reasons.
One of them is to work with you to make
Nigeria a better place for us to live in, and
the other one is to ensure our states,
local government areas, regions and
zones are peaceful.
"No one can do it all, we need collective
efforts to make Nigeria a better place to
live in. Please, put the nation first,
because no other country is better than
ours,'' the First Lady said.
She said the concert would be a
turnaround for youths as it would
enlighten them on peaceful ways to co-
habit with their neighbours and thereby
shun violence.
Dame Patience Jonathan decried the
ongoing killings in Borno, saying the killing
of students and other Nigerians was a
dastard act as the youths are the nation's
future hope.
"Today, I have two children. If they get
killed, life is not worth living for me. Why
will anyone therefore want to kill people's
children? No mother will like to suffer in
vain.
"Our joy is in the youths. You are the
hope of Nigeria, the hope of tomorrow. I
don't want to lose any of you.
"Please, be co-ordinated, and also be
good ambassadors at the concert so that
the foreigners can take good news back
home about us,'' she said.
While responding individually, Yinka
Gbadebo, Usman Ibrahim, Amina
Abdulone and Dauda Abduljelil who were
among speakers, spoke for the youths
and also proffered solutions to the
country's insecurity problems.
"I appeal that your peace initiative should
extend to the campuses which are the
intellectual community of the nation.
"Also, our campuses in the North should
be more secured so that our brothers and
sisters can be safe.
"I also appeal that as you have
successfully advocated for 35 per cent for
women, advocate for 20 per cent for the
youths so that we can be involved in
governance and drastically reduce
unemployment among us,'' Gbadebo said.
Ibrahim, on his part, said: "I lost a
namesake the oldest son of my sister and
a friend in the Buni Yadi killings.
"The situation is pathetic. Satanic people
are killing our brothers and sisters every
day, and we need solutions fast.''
Also, Abdulone said: "This concert is
coming at a very crucial time for the
nation. I grew up and schooled in Yobe,
but when I went back there two weeks
ago, I wept. We need to help the women
who bear the brunt of any conflict''.
On his part, Abduljelil said: "Our lives are
at stake. No one understands what's
happening. It's not about the North East
but about Nigeria. The elite have created
this monster eating deep into us.
"These were youths who were dedicated
to working for this country but someone
has polluted their minds and turned them
against the system.
"We need to reach out to our brothers
and bring them back to the path of peace.
I'll also laud the activities of the civilian
JTF who are unarmed and unpaid, and yet
risk their lives daily in the quest for
peace.''
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