Mai Mala Buni, the Governor of Yobe State, has urged Nigerian youths in the Northeast to leave behind any plans to start a new wave of protest, citing the risks and lack of progress involved.

Additionally, the Governor through Yusuf Ali, his Senior Special Assistant for Digital and Strategic Communications, tasked youths with using social media responsibly to create positive narratives about the state and the nation.

At the opening of the Ethical and Re-Orientation Campaign (Operation Gyaran Hali), which was coordinated in Damaturu by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ethical Re-Orientation, Buni took the lead. He claimed that, after years of Boko Haram terrorism, no young Nigerian, particularly those from the Northeast, would rationally organize a rally that would upset the hard-won tranquility that the region’s residents are currently experiencing.

He continued by saying that the devastating Boko Haram conflict, which has destroyed billions of dollars worth of property and left millions of people dead, was still having an effect on the Northeastern part of the country. “The difficult times we faced during the insurgency are still fresh in our memories for all of us. Only those who lack empathy would wish to return to those times when people were frantically escaping for their lives rather than worrying about what to eat.” he said.

Buni also claimed that more protest would exacerbate the already unstable security environment and dire economic conditions plaguing the nation and the Northeast area. The Governor boasted that his administration had taken decisive action in educating young people about social media etiquette and equipping them with resources to succeed in the digital economy.

He mentioned that in its mission to equip people with digital skills, the Yobe State Information Technology Development Agency, (YITDA), is also trying to involve more young people. To ensure a better future for the youth, the Governor called on parents, religious leaders, and traditional rulers to assume responsibility for reestablishing the culture of discipline, decency, and righteousness that is fading.

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