The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State in the April 2015 election, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, has called on youths in the state to shun violence to ensure a secure future for themselves and a better society.

In his message to mark the International Youth Day 2016, Peterside, the incumbent Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), noted that the future of every society depends on the wellbeing of its young people.

“Without doubt, the future of every society and indeed mankind depends on the wellbeing of young people,” he stated.

The NIMASA DG bemoaned the overwhelming insecurity that the youths of Rivers State are now living with.

Said he: “Unfortunately today, our youths in Rivers State are forced to live under the dangerous environment of a State that has been identified as one of the most dangerous states to live in Nigeria. This rating is occasioned by the short life expectancy caused by unprecedented cases of armed robberies, kidnapping, cultism, murder and piracy amongst other crimes.

“It is never in doubt that this sordid situation was created and still being sustained and promoted by a state government that came into existence through the patronage of criminality. It is also easily understood that as a beneficiary of crime, the state government has compromised the morality and vigour to fight crime. The result is that Rivers State has become the Hobbesian state of nature, where life is ‘brutish, nasty and short’.

“However, mine is a message of hope to our youths that they should not despair; they should not give up and indeed they should not quit as quitters cannot win and winners do not quit. Somewhere at the end of the tunnel is a ray of light signifying hope, greatness and prosperity for our youth, people and the future. When the right people take up the mantle of political leadership in Rivers State, young people will heave a sigh of relief because the perilous times of today will be quickly dumped in the abyss of history.

“It is important for our youths to develop their abilities in critical thinking and deploy same in discerning what is good from bad, what is right from wrong and engage only in those things that will bring about progress, better life and advancement to themselves and the society. Our young people must shun political thuggery, cultism and killings.

“Therefore, on the occasion of this year’s International Youth Day, I urge our young people in Rivers State to continue to shun violence and vices; they should rather engage their hands and minds meaningfully to ensure a better future for themselves and the society. It is only by so doing that the youths and our people will consummate their dreams and aspirations in life.”

•Photo shows Dakuku Peterside.

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