By Patrick Obia
Youths of Cross River State, have been urged to know their neighbors and take total charge of security in their immediate environment.
Security experts gave the spur in a one-day security summit and launch of Operation Know Your Neighbor, spearheaded by the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), in Calabar.
The security experts who in separate speechess herped on the need to be vigilant include representatives from the Nigerian Air Force, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Fire Service and functionaries of the Cross River State Government.
Young Cross Riverians were warned that, until they take responsibility of what happens in their vicinity, security which is everyone’s business won’t improve.
They further admonished the leaders of tomorrow to discountenance the notion that, when youths are unemployed, they go into crime adding that, joblessness is not enough reason to justify involvement in criminality.
In an interview shortly after the launch of the summit, the Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Cross River State, Dan Obo reiterated that “security is every man’s duty, the aim of Operation Know Your Neighbor is to enlighten the youths of Cross River, to know who and who they call neighbors and what they do.
“If you look at the security situation here in Cross River, you will discover that it has become very important if we begin to engage. First, it is that, every bad thing that happens they attribute it to the young people so what we are trying to do is simple, we have decided to either go ahead to engage these people ourselves, we have decided to go speak to the young people ourselves.
“We want to come to the realization that look, this issue of security makes it a trying time for our generation, security is everybody’s business even our parents. So our appeal is that as we are kicking in terms of engaging ourselves, there should be an opportunity for young people to have what to do. I also do not agree that, if you’re jobless you are supposed to engage in crime; I want us to know our neighbors, those ones with issues of character and attitudes should be exposed.
“The entire idea is know your neighbor. If you know your neighbor, criminal activities will reduce, if you know your neighbor you will be safe in terms of relating when you have issues at home. This is an ideology that look, I know my neighbor but I don’t understand what he or she is doing, so all of that is what have brought us here.”
The group said in no time more strategic details will be communicated to the public.
Key moment of the summit includes, question and answer session as well as group photograph.
See pictures from the event below.
