TheCable

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to convene a national dialogue to address security challenges in the country.

The need for a dialogue, the group said, has become necessary towards dousing ethnic tensions in the country.

In a statement on Thursday, Dotun Omoleye, the NYCN’s vice-president, south-west, said the president must be decisive in restoring peace through dialogue.

“We view the growing tensions across the nation along tribal, ethnic, religious lines as potential threats to the continued peace, mutual coexistence and unity of our nation,” the statement reads.

“There is no other time to demand proportional response to the yearnings and aspirations of all citizens to be addressed at a roundtable than now.

“As the leader of our country, destiny has today placed it in the hand of President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse this ugly trend.

“So, we passionately appeal to Mr President to immediately create a national platform through which eminent citizens could be brought together to a forum where agitations and grievances could be tabled and addressed once and for all.

“A situation where once friendly, tolerant and accommodating compatriots suddenly began to expand each other’s fault lines is unfortunate, unacceptable. And, the government must be decisive to deal peacefully to restore order through dialogue.”

He also condemned recent agitations for disintegration and eviction notices against citizens residing in different parts of the country.

Omoleye described such utterances as illegal, and said they must not be allowed to gain tractions.

He said the NYCN believes that these cracks are not irredeemable, if stakeholders can put the nation at the front burner.

“We, therefore, strongly align with voice of wisdom, particularly from our traditional rulers and leaders of opinion cautioning against extreme positions, as it is important to seek a melting point through dialogue where our nation could be repositioned through a forum where everyone can give and take,” he added.