Security is everyone’s responsibility and citizens owe it as a duty to work in tandem with security agencies to ensure everyone is safe and secure to pursue their socio-economic and other aspirations.

Youths have, consequently, been charged to see themselves as stakeholders in the management of security in their communities and hence take responsibility by volunteering information about happenings around them to the security agencies.

This charge was given by a former Directing Staff of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Larry Pepple on Saturday, December 9, 2023 during a One-Day Sensitization Seminar organized by the Bonny Youth Federation (BYF) in Bonny, Rivers State.

Delivering a lecture titled “The Role of Youths in Advancing the New Bonny Vision Through Sustainable Peace and Security”, he explained that such responsibility can only be driven by passion for one’s community.

“For youths and other stakeholders to play identifiable roles in advancing sustainable peace and security in Bonny, there must be genuine love for Bonny Kingdom.”

“I want to enjoin the new leadership of BYF to be the vanguard of propagating and rekindling the Love Bonny Spirit. You should spread the catch phrase of If you see something suspicious, say something.”

“Let all participants at this Seminar take this message home and spread it around that the role we owe ourselves to keep our communities safe.”

“As we go about our daily routines such as going to work, school, or the relaxation spots during these festivities remember; if you see something that doesn’t seem quite right, say something.”

He proposed nine panaceas to entrenching a peaceful, secure and progressive Bonny Kingdom namely, “If You See Something…Say Something”, Training of Peacebuilders, Identification of Potential Peace and Security Advocates from Schools, Government Deliberate Job Creation Programmes, Avoiding Abusive Use of the Social Media, War Against Hard Drugs and Substance Abuse, Roads/Streets Naming and House Numbering, Bonny Kingdom Residents’ Registration Scheme (BKRRS), and Coordinated Neighbourhood Watch and Community Organizing.

In her remarks, the Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Dame Anengi Claude-Wilcox commended the Anthony Banigo led Central Executive Council of the Bonny Youth Federation for conceptualizing and organizing the Seminar, urging them to align with her administration’s vision of an egalitarian society where stakeholders coalesce to ensure peace and security.

“Once again, let me commend the Anthony Banigo led BYF Exco for starting strong with this laudable workshop, which is a reinforcement of the fact that the leadership is a square peg in a square hole.”

“I am optimistic that more of this kind of meetings would be held and the synergy between the Local Government and the Youths would deepen. Let us take advantage of this responsive, proactive and productive administration and collectively transform Bonny to that enviable height we all envisage. We are a work in progress as an LGA, it is colourful and it’s bright, we must get there.”

“Let me remind us that the issue of sea piracy is now a thing of the past. Youngsters are beginning to understand the dangers of cultism, and gangsterism. They are embracing new and better ways of life. Peace is becoming a norm in Bonny now. People now enjoyably sleep with their two eyes closed.”

“I therefore urge you with all modesty to join the move for the sustenance of this God given peace in Bonny. Let us sustain it for our good and for others. Remember Peace is Priceless.”

On his part, the Leader of the Bonny Youth Federation (BYF), Anthony Banigo asserted that peace is critical to sustainable development, and given that youths are strategic to crisis and conflict it became imperative to bring stakeholders to engage with the youths to chart a way forward in that direction.

All over the world, most of the security challenges faced by society are either created by or for the youths to engage in, sadly the loss which follows every such creation of insecurity is also mostly youth based. It is, therefore, not out of place that talking to ourselves on this issue has become very necessary.”

“We need peace to achieve sustainable development. It is for that reason that we felt it needful to put up an event of this nature where we can listen to experts who will speak to us not just about the concept of peace, but how it can be gotten, sustained and managed to give the desired result especially in our multi-ethnic economic business hub of Bonny Island.”

He pointed out that Bonny Island was speedily assuming a cosmopolitan status with the completion of the Bonny-Bodo Road, coming of the deep seaport, and increase in other economic activities, stressing that the time is now to emplace a security template that is forward looking to soak up existing and imminent challenges.

“As the years go by, we find Bonny coming more and more into the reality of becoming a fully urbanized town, with the road project, Bonny Deep Seaport and an increment in the production of Liquefied Natural Gas for export, Bonny is set to become host to the entire country who will at one time or another have cause to do business here.”

“We cannot wait until that time to begin to make plans to secure ourselves from the obvious challenges which will follow these projects, we can only start now to create a path, a template through which others who come to meet us on this island can follow.”

He extolled the wisdom of the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom for setting up various institutions to handle critical aspects of Bonny society, noting that these institutions engaging on behalf of Bonny Kingdom have continued to attract the necessary dividends to advance Bonny Kingdom.

“It is noteworthy to appreciate the already existing structure and framework for peace and sustainable development put in place by no less a person than our own father and monarch, His Majesty, King (Dr.) Edward William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, CON, JP, DSSRS, Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler.”

“In the Oil and Gas Industry, Bonny Island is one of the best towns which hosts very impressive facilities and yet maintains such level of peace that is rare to find in other such oil and gas host communities. It is by Gods power and to the credit of the His Majesty, that this has come to be.”

“The setting up of different Kingdom committees saddled with the responsibility of engaging on behalf of the community, is a dividend of His Majesty’s wisdom, as we have seen that most of the infrastructural and human developmental gains enjoyed on the island, is as a result of useful engagements and negotiations which these bodies enter into on behalf of the Kingdom.”

Representatives of law enforcement and security agencies in Bonny LGA including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) added their voices to the clamour for a concerted approach to security management in the LGA with youths at the centre.