Enugu youths unite against terror, declare support for war on insecurity

Young people in Enugu State marched through the capital on Friday to support the government’s campaign against insecurity. Undergraduates and members of the National Youth Service Corps joined the procession, which ended at Government House, where Governor Peter Mbah received them.

The youths pledged to mobilize people across the state against criminal activity and violent extremism. Mbah praised the initiative and said their decision to take part showed they would not remain on the sidelines of the fight against cultism, crime and terrorism.

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For you to march through the streets and end here preaching the message against crime and terrorism is profound. Ordinarily, we should be the ones preaching to you against such vices.

The governor said security had been one of the recurring risks identified by his administration as it planned Enugu’s development. He described the government’s “Tomorrow Is Here” message as a commitment to investing in young people, rather than merely a political slogan.

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But by this act, you are telling us that you are not going to be on the fringes or stand by and watch. Rather, you are going to be at the forefront of the campaign against cultism, crime and terrorism.

Mbah said greater youth participation could reduce crime and free resources for job creation and poverty eradication. He said a safer Enugu would attract investors and urged the marchers to take their message to every part of the state.

The government, he said, would complement the campaign through non-kinetic measures, including job creation, greater investment in education and digital-skills development. Earlier, Emeka Ejim, deputy rector of the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu, described the march as a broad-based coalition.

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Your campaign is heartwarming. When citizens apply scholarly and constructive approaches, government will be glad to engage them constructively and productively too.