Unemployment, major cause of insecurity in Nigeria – Cleric

The Chief Imam of Apo Legislators’ Quarters Mosque, Sheikh Nura Khalid, has blamed the rising insecurity in the country on the high rate of unemployment.

Khalid made the observation in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.

He urged the Federal Government to take urgent measures to reduce unemployment, especially among the youth.
The chief imam stated that violent crimes would be reduced to the barest minimum if the youth were engaged in meaningful ventures.
Kkalid also called on all tiers of government to enact laws that would not only tackle insecurity in the land, but also put an end to negative activities.
The chief imam urged stakeholders to join hands with the Federal Government in its quest to tackle the current security challenges facing the country.
He said that the challenges should not be left in the hands of the government alone, adding that it was the collective responsibility of all Nigerians to tackle them.
Khalid also stressed the need for religious leaders and organisations to preach peace to their followers and avoid any act of violence wherever they found themselves.
He urged the Federal Government to address the epileptic power supply in the country, adding that more unemployed people would be engaged in one activity or the other if addressed.
Khalid urged the government to also stem rural-urban migration by giving priority attention to agriculture as the major employer of labour.
The cleric commended the efforts of the security agencies in stemming the spate of terrorism in the country, adding that the Joint Task Force in the volatile areas deserved commendation in trying to repel terrorism.
`he said: “The nation’s security agencies also need to be more proactive in order to reduce the spate of kidnappings and other anti-social vices in the country.
“Our security agencies should apply more intelligence sharing and networking effectively in order to respond quickly to security threats.”
Khalid also urged governments to give priority attention to the empowerment of women to alleviate their sufferings.