CITAD harps on role of youth in peace building

From Ahmed Kaigama,Bauchi

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), a Non Governmental Organization, has said that youth have vital and critical role in peace building, restoration and preventing conflict in the society.
The Executive Director of CITAD, Yunusa Zakari Ya’u made the observation at the 2 days Youth in Peace Building Conference organized by CITAD with support from MacArthur Foundation and the Presidential Committee on Northeast Initiative (PCNI) held at Chartwell Hotels and Suites in Bauchi yesterday.
Ya’u stressed the need for the engagement of youth in curtailing violence such as political thugs and other youth restiveness in Nigeria.
Yunusa Ya’u who described youth as part of peace initiative said the Conference is a follow-up to years of research in community resilience to ensure that peace reins in communities in the conduct of Boko Haram insurgency.
The Excutive Director assured CITAD determination to continue working on peace building especially among youth for development of the Nation.
He thanked the MacArthur Foundation and PCNI for their support in convergence of such confrence on peace building in critical areas.
In his remarks, the representative of PCNI, Abdurrahman Hamisu said PCNI is one of the present administration intervention designed to bring about peace in North Easter states ravaged by Boko Haram activities.
Hamisu called on government at all levels as well as stakeholders to give youth the opportunity to champion the course of peace in the society.
Commending CITAD for the initiative on peace building, he assured that PCNI will always support any Programme aimed at bring about lasting peace in the country.
Also, a participant at the conference, Ambassador Aminu Garba Sidi, Chairman Christian Muslim Peace Movement in Bauchi state observed that Nigeria will only experience lasting peace if the citizens embraced Rwanda approach of forgiving each other.
He said “ all we need as a nation to enjoy peace and move forward is to create Sysco social approach. We need to embrace forgiveness irrespective of the damages anybody or group might have melted on us,” he said
Garba Sidi who attributed causes of crises such as insurgency to youth involvement in drug abuse, social influence, money, politics and poverty stressed the need for sensitization and peace education for. youths to enable them live in peace with one another.