A leading International Civil right group known as the International Association of World Peace Advocates has called on Nigerian youths to be peaceful and shun violence that is capable of truncating the efforts of their heroes past in giving them a country called Nigeria.
Making this known during a press conference on Wednesday, October 22, 2020, in Port Harcourt, the international spokesman, Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke urged youths to be peaceful as they make their demands known to the government of Nigeria and depart from violence or attacking their fellow armless citizens by way of destruction of their lives and properties.
Amb. Nkweke noted that peaceful protest is one of the non-violent approach in demanding the attention of government towards the direction for a meaningful development as in case of Nigeria the youths have been disappointed hence seek to direct the attention of the government towards their development.
He said that his group feels the pains of the youths, suffering, their setback in national development and their under treatments that have metamorphosed to unemployment, poverty, and several inequalities but still adviced them that peaceful protest remains the best way in achieving their collective desire.
He equally frowned and condemns the massacre at Lekki toll Gate by the military and the failure of government to address the issue at stake and was silent on the emotions and yearnings of the peaceful youths by the federal government and urged the Nigerian government to immediately look into the plights of their youths as it is part of their democratic rights to protest especially when there are realities of cases of brutalities and human right abuses hence the protest ENDSARS.
The group also advised the police and the military to be civil in handling the situation as the association is ready to partner with the Nigeria government and state government in providing a lasting solution in the situation.
The group also called on the traditional rulers, clergymen with influential capacity and Chief Imams to always consider themselves as major peace-brokers between the government and the youth for the sake of lasting peace.
Amb. Nkweke also disclosed that the group has also put all machineries in place to visit past presidents of Nigeria, traditional rulers, youth bodies, foreign embassies, civil society organizations and past governors with good track records to thinker out the best ways in which Nigeria youths will have their lasting pride of place in the democratic process in Nigeria.
He also called on the various state governments setting up various panels of enquiry to publish contact details of their committee members, and urged them to be transparent as much as possible and ensure the inclusion of youths and youth-led organization as part of their panels and not to write report in secrecy so as to avoid any negative reaction from the youths.
