Benin city – With less than 10-months to the 2019 general elections, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has called on politicians in the country to see the youths as nation builders, and not for their selfish political gains.

Edo state Acting Director, NOA, Mrs Grace Eseka made the call in her address, during a Forum on Security Sensitization And Orientation Campaign Against Political Thuggery, Kidnapping And Drug Addiction, organized by the Agency in Benin city recently.

Mrs Eseka urged political parties, to work in concert with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to develop an “institutional framework” whereby their youths brigades would be absorbed for training and retraining to enable them assume leadership positions.

“Quite often, we talk about youths restiveness, crimes, and criminality. Yes! Youths are very critical for the development and growth of the country. All efforts must therefore, be geared towards wrestling them from drugs use and other vices”, She noted.

Delivering His lecture at the Forum titled, “Political Thuggery, Kidnapping And Related Crimes”, Commissioner of Police, Edo state command, Johnson Kokumo, attributed the causes of these crimes to illiteracy, unemployment, corruption, and political rivalry.

The Edo Police boss, represented by ACP Ayo Faniyan, noted that, it is an offence to threaten any person with the use of force or violence during any political campaign in order to compel that person to support or refrain from supporting a party or candidate.

CP Kokumo however called for the exchange of credible and reliable information between the public and security agencies as well as promulgated serious punitive measures against offences, adding, mild sentences will not deter perpetrators.

On his part, Asst Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the state, Usman Suleiman, said, trade in and abuse of drugs have been recognized as a major sources of social, economic, and political problems in countries across the world.

The Edo NDLEA Asst Commander who presented a paper titled, “Drug Abuse And Its Effects On The Society”, asserted, if Nigeria wants to stem down the rate of criminality and other social vices bedeviling the society, tackling drug trafficking and abuse becomes imperative.

Representatives of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ministry of Orientation and Communication, religious organisations, youths groups, civil society, schools, were also among those that spoke at the event.