The Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Garba Abari, has charged politicians not to engage Nigerian youths in any form of political violence during the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
He made this known at a Stakeholders Dialogue for Peaceful and Violence Free 2019 election, organized by NOA in collaboration with the National Stakeholders Committee for Peaceful Elections, held at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja on Monday, January 21, 2019 to sensitize the public towards a peaceful and violence-free election.
In his words “It is time indeed for our youths across Nigeria to say no to greedy and selfish politicians, who would want to tempt them with the lures of money and other material benefits to lead them to destruction of lives and property before, during and after elections.”
He reiterated that politicians and political leaders have a duty to promote peace and enhance security by playing within the rules of the game before, during and after the elections to ensure peace and meaningful national development for the country.
Alhaji Abari further called on parents, guardians, religious leaders, opinion moulders, traditional rulers and youth leaders in the country to also live up to their responsibility to ensure their children, wards and subjects are not involved in perpetrating violence in the forthcoming general elections.
He therefore promised that the agency will continue with the sensitization campaign in all the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria towards a peaceful and violence-free election in all the nooks and crannies of the country.
Dimgba Njideka
ES Office, Abuja