Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Nigerians, according to Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, cannot afford another civil war like the one that tore the country apart in 1967.
He urged young people to stay away from stoking the flames of conflict and bloodshed.
The Governor gave a speech on Tuesday in Kaduna at the conclusion of the orientation program for 2022 Batch B (Stream 2) NYSC corps members posted to the state of Kaduna.
El-Rufai, who was represented at the event by Acting Governor Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, declared that Nigeria cannot afford a replay of the civil war’s unnecessary violence.
He said: “Youths must keep in mind that the NYSC was established following the civil war that tore apart every strand of the Nigerian state. We cannot afford to replicate the unnecessary violence of the war.
“Therefore, Nigerian youths must refrain from fueling the flames of violence and war in Nigeria. As a nation, we must prevent a repetition of that terrible chapter in our past. The youth of Nigeria must also reject becoming war mongers’ ready tools.
“My dear valued corps members, I think you have the ability to defend what is good for our dear country and what would help to create an unified Nigeria. You shall not fail to do what is right for your dear country. After all, promoting Nigeria’s unity and advancing development is the NYSC’s primary goal.
“The national youth service is a manifestation of our faith in our young graduates to serve as ambassadors for a bigger Nigeria. You need to demonstrate to us that this is a realistic expectation. We anticipate you to be creative, diligent, and continually exhibit acts of acceptance, openness, and tenacity in whatever you do.
Governor El-Rufai discussed the role of corps members in elections and emphasized that as representatives of Nigeria’s youth population, which makes up the majority of Nigeria’s population, the corps members must abstain from corruption during elections and act as responsible citizens who would be considered to have risen to the occasion when it mattered most.
He stated, “I am quite impressed that the youth make up 71% of the 12 million new Permanent Voter’s Card applicants in the recently finished Continuous Voter Registration operation. In light of this, we anticipate greater youth engagement in the general elections of 2023, and I sincerely hope that this participation will be positive and productive as opposed to earlier disruption, violent, ballot box snatching, and other criminal acts.
“The Corps members will be needed for the general elections in February 2023; many of you will serve as presiding officers. Keep in mind that you will be speaking for the youths during that project. Do not let it be stated of you that the young people who worked in the polling stations for the I NEC during the elections were corrupt or out of date and helped to undermine the popular will of the electorate. Therefore, you must be accountable citizens who stepped up when it counted,” he remarked.
El-Rufai reminded the corps members that there are no longer jobs in the public and private sectors while applauding the NYSC administration for teaching the corps members entrepreneurial skills.
