Jalingo Rotary Club holds Symposium, Charges youth to be peace ambassadors
Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
As part of its efforts towards providing a peaceful, clean and crime free society, the Rotary club of Jalingo, Taraba State, at the weekend organized a symposium on the theme “Peace Building and Conflict Prevention” to intensify awareness and sensitize Tarabans on issues surrounding cleanliness, peaceful coexistence and conflict prevention.
The occasion which began with general clean up at the premises of the Pharmacist Danbaba Suntai Polytechnic Jalingo Campus, eventually glided into inspirational presentations and practical demonstrations by different experience resource persons on peace management at the School auditorium.
Addressing guest at the occasion, the Head, Department of Peace and Conflict Management, Taraba State University Jalingo, Dr. Julius Mngomba Who was the Guest Speaker, noted that youth are the major class of people that are mostly use by enemies of progress in the society to cause different forms of conflict, hence the need to sensitize them.
The HOD who advocated for aggressive engagement of youths in different entrepreneurial skills and other useful ventures by the Government and other well to do individuals said it was the only sure way of maintaining a free crime society.
In his presentation, the Commandant, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) Suleiman Jaaji, attributed the cause of youth misbehavior to the intake of hard drugs.
He stated the Taraba State NDLEA Command under his watch is doing everything possible to completely stop youths from taking illicit drugs in the state, adding that when youth stay away from those drugs, crisis of all kinds would be drastically reduced in our various communities.
As part of the Command’s efforts, Commandant Jaaji revealed that aside arresting drugs barons and other drug dealers, NDLEA had introduced an operational strategy code named “War Against Drug Abuse (WADA)” where by, its officers usually go round and appoint ambassadors with the sole responsibility of passing the message of the fight against intake of illicit drugs to the grass root.
He emphasized that the command would not rest on its oars until illicit drug dealers and consumers turn over new leaves or are forced to vacate the state.
Earlier in his speech, the President of the Rotary Club of Jalingo City, Rotarian Bisi Sani Alaba said the occasion was part of the club’s efforts to attain its seven areas of focus.
Rotn. Bisi who expressed optimism that there would be a rapid change in the lives of the participants at the symposium especially the students, revealed that her club had in the recent time intervened in so many areas including Maternal child, sanitation, provision of portable drinking water, fight against polio malaise and in the fight against corona Virus and Ebola among other health challenges.
She called on all and sundry to join Rotary Club where they can use their treasure, talent and time to serve humanity, maintaining that “Rotary Club is the only safest place where you invest and you see your investment live working for you.
“We meet every Tuesday by six O’clock at the Pastoral Centre, Mile Six Jalingo”. She added.
Meanwhile, Students who participated in the symposium, expressed satisfaction with the program, pledging that they would make maximum use of the different skills and ideas they acquired from the resource persons.
The President of the Taraba State Students Union (TASSU), Taraba State Polytechnic Campus, Comr. Emmanuel Philip and his Vice Comr. Honest Kedan who spoke on behalf of the students urged the Rotary Club to continue coming to the school with such programs, pointing out that the symposium molded their characters in no small measure.
