The Gombe State National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged youths to avoid drugs, thuggery, and other social vices that can destabilize the state.
Adaline Patari, the State Director of NOA, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe that youths, as future leaders, should be more concerned about Nigeria’s development.
Patari stated that it had become necessary to provide the advice due to the link between drugs and an increase in crime rates, as well as the need for peace to promote societal development.
According to her, the security of lives and property should not be solely the responsibility of the government, but of society as a whole, and thus the youth must avoid any acts that could jeopardize peaceful coexistence wherever they find themselves.
According to Patari, the NOA, in collaboration with relevant agencies, is consistently engaging major stakeholders in the state to discourage youths from engaging in drug use.
“We recently engaged grassroots stakeholders as part of NOA’s Implementation of National Security Sensitisation Programme against thuggery, kidnapping, drug abuse, radicalisation, and violent extremism.”
“Now that elections is approaching, we are appealing to youths not to allow anyone to use them as tools to perpetrate crimes because those politicians will not use their children, so youths must be wise.”
Patari stated that the NOA, as a government agency involved in community mobilization, would continue to educate and mobilize stakeholders against drug abuse, noting that drugs are frequently associated with virtually all anti-social behaviors plaguing the country.
She urged young people and women to take advantage of the ongoing voter card registration to become registered and exercise their voting rights in 2023.
The NOA state director also urged parents, grassroots leaders, well-meaning Nigerians, and the Gombe state government to do more to equip youths with relevant skills that will enable them to become self-sufficient.
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