A Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Jos, Zubairu Dagona, on Monday raised the alarm over plans by the developed countries to recruit Nigerian youths into their army, urging legislators to kick against such.
Dagona, who doubles as Director, Legislative Centre for Security Analysis, National Assembly Abuja, said following the rate of unemployment in the country unsuspecting youths may cash in on that to alleviate their situation.
He made the plea at a one-day advocacy meeting with legislators of Gombe State House of Assembly on religious tolerance and human rights protection in Gombe.
Our correspondent reports that the meeting with the theme; ‘Empowering actors to promote peacebuilding, human rights, democracy and religious tolerance’, is a European Union co-founded project in partnership with Bread for the World implemented by TEKAN Peace Desk in Gombe State.
He said, “There is ongoing movement for recruiting Nigerian youths into some foreign military personnel. I want to frown at that and also advise the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly including Gombe State to eschew that and throw that away let’s guide our children because they will go and fall victims of this. Already the (International Community) has created a large gap in terms of unemployment in Nigeria coupled with our corruption, our youths are doing nothing. They will rush for this recruitment and they will face war soon. If they do that we are going to fight again as we fought in the second world war and Africa, Nigeria will be devastated.
Lamenting the religious intolerance in the country, within states, Dagona added, “The problem is caused by personal, illiteracy, sectorial differences and the corruption there is no way politicians can go in without corrupting our pastors, Imams and unfortunately the followers are illiterates. There is a large illiteracy among followership in Nigeria in both faiths coupled with unemployment for the youths. Religions are the same; they are 99 per cent closer than one per cent difference. Emphasis should be placed on the closeness rather than the diversity.”
On her part, Coordinator of TPD Helen Philemon-Haggai, said the project is for a 30-month duration, adding that it implementation commenced since April 2023 to 2025.
She noted that the project is implemented in Kwami, Yalmatu-Deba and Billiri Local Government Areas two each of three LGAs, across six communities.
“From our discussion the issue of monitoring function should be taken seriously towards checking religious excesses. If you compare Gombe State to others states in the North there is relative peace and if you look at indices of development is higher in the state,” she added.
Also, Speaker Gombe State House of Assembly Abubakar Mohammed, described peace as a fundamental ingredient for governance.
