More reactions and counter reactions are coming out from various sectors and prominent personalities as a result of the EndSARS protest. Just recently a well known religious personality lent his voice to advise the federation’s President on the way to go in other to avoid more chaos and violence.
The Catholic Bishop of Bauchi/Gombe Diocese, Most Reverend Hilary Dachelem, has strongly admonished President Muhammadu Buhari against any form of manipulation or deception in a bid to calm the youth following recent #EndSARS protests that destroyed lives and properties in various parts of the country.
The federal government had organised various town hall meetings and deployed some of his ministers and top government officials, to attend a dialogue with the communities and youths across the country, following the EndSARS protests. Issues bothering on welfare, economic hardships, security, and the way forward were the major topics of discussion. Bishop Dachelem, reacting to the outcome of these meetings advised the Buhari led administration to make conscious effort to fulfil their promises in addressing the plight of the youth for peace to reign
Presidential representatives, were witnessed listened to cries and clamour of the youths regarding some of the unfavorable government’s policies during the Town Hall meetings. The representatives of the president promised on behalf of the president to address these complaints and create policies that will intervene for the youths especially in areas of job creation and poverty alleviation.
Bishop Dachelem, speaking in an interview with Daily Sun at his residence in Bauchi, with regards to these meetings strongly advised the president to sincerely pay attention to these genuine concerns of the youths.
He said that “My advice is this, Abraham Lincoln said ‘you can deceive some of the people some of the time, you can deceive all the people some of the time but you cannot deceive all the people all the time’. When you are entering into a dialogue with the youths you must be serious. You must be committed, you must be realistic and you must be truthful,…“You don’t just promise young persons that today we have this policy we will do this, we will do that and relent. You must pursue it, you must realize it. They must see it working. That is the crux of the matter: Implementation, impact.
He continued by saying that “When you tell the young person you are going to have a Town Hall meeting, you don’t think you will calm down their nerves and then later you go on flying and doing whatever you are doing.
“No you must be realistic. Most of our leaders of the past went into leadership position as youth: Gowon, Awolowo, all these they came in as youth so if they were able to have that insights and given to being politically conscious, that they could rise to that position it means it is a serious target that we don’t have to toy with otherwise we are sitting on gun powder”
The Bishop expressed major concern about the present plights of the youths and government negligent approach towards the youths and he said that “It is not just the responsibility of government. All of us have to put hands to deck to make sure that our youths are attended to otherwise we shall have lopsided personality and it is delicate. It is dangerous for us. If we are not able to make a better Nigeria today, let us make the youth better for a better Nigeria for tomorrow. I am concerned about the youth. They receive lesser attention, lesser provision, poorer policies and poorest implementation of their policies and that why today society is menaced by all manner of crimes – armed robberies, kidnappings, promiscuity, addition, alcoholism all are product of mal or poor care of the youth if they are well taken care of then we will have a youth who will shun evil”
Gift Joseph Okpakorese
Staff writer
