June 15, 2015 – President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday called on African leaders to put an end to factors that encourage youths to embark on violence.
Buhari who was speaking at the 25th Assembly of Head of States and Government of African Union in Johannesburg tasked leaders to embark on good governance and create jobs for the teaming youth.
“Those of us gathered here today owe it as a duty to reverse this ugly trend. We must put an end to the so-called push factors that compel our young men and women to throw caution to the winds and risk life, limbs and all, on this dangerous adventure.
“We must redouble our efforts to sustain the economic development of our countries, ensure empowerment of our youths, create more jobs, improve and upgrade our infrastructure, and above all continue the enthronement of a regime of democracy, good governance and respect for human rights and rule of law. These and other measures that engender peace and stability must be pursued relentlessly”, the President said.
According to him, the images in the international mass media of African youths getting drowned in the Mediterranean sea on their illegal attempts, and often times illusory hope of attaining better life in Europe is not only an embarrassment to leaders, but “dehumanises our persons. Indeed, they combine to paint a very unfavourable picture of our peoples and countries”, he said.
He noted that leaders must persist in a collective endeavour to work together through the African Union and the respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs), to uplift the continent and provide the African peoples the enabling environment for the realization of their legitimate dreams and aspirations.
“At this juncture, let me assure you of the unflinching commitment of Nigeria to the ideals and aspirations of the African Union as explained in the Agenda 2063, which is geared towards ensuring a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa in the next 50 years.
“It is for this reason that Nigeria is fully and irrevocably committed to the ECOWAS vision. We do so because we believe that African integration is best attained through the instrumentality of our Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as the building blocs of viable continental institutions.
“Nigeria will therefore continue to play her part in supporting the African Union Commission and other continental and regional institutions in their efforts to prioritize African development in all sectors of human endeavour”, the President said.
