Youths have been called upon to be relevant stakeholders in the security architecture of the Nigerian polity, especially, Rivers State, and not jettison the job of security to the law enforcement agencies alone.

Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Rivers State, Chief Casca Ogosu made this call during the Inauguration of the 8th Executive Council of the Rivers State Youth Federation (RSYF) held at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Port Harcourt, which is the State Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Ogosu described the youths as major stakeholders in the stability of the state and must play participatory roles by supplying necessary information to the security agents when confronted with questionable and unlawful practices, urging the youths to have ‘eagle eyes’ over the activities taking place in their environment.

Delivering a Keynote Lecture, a former Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr. Lawrence Chuku challenged the new executives of the RSYF to imbibe a leadership disposition that inspires and motivates their followers towards achieving common goals, exhorting them to see leadership as a call to service and not one to amass wealth.

The revered academic don charged the executives to bring forth value based ideas that will endear them to their followers and not employ the use of coercion that is against the collective interest.

In his remarks shortly after being inaugurated, the President of the Rivers State Youth Federation (RSYF), Patrick Saviour conveyed his appreciation to the Rivers State Police Command, as well as the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) for their parental support to the RSYF.

He expressed his administration’s decision to place premium consideration on youth empowerment by training nothing less than 500 youths in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Hotel Management and Fashion, among others.

On his part, the newly sworn-in Assistant Secretary-General of the RSYF, Victor Sakanwin described the RSYF as the vanguard of peace that will only deploy the use of peaceful alternatives to resolve all challenges confronting the youths in the state.

Highpoint of the event was the presentation of an award to the member representing Oyigbo in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Promise Nwankwo, patron of the RSYF and Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) and grand patron of the RSYF, Chief Casca Ogosu, and other distinguished personalities whose contributions, the RSYF leadership, noted have been most invaluable.