By Muhammad Tanko Shittu
Jos
Youths in Plateau state and particularly those in the Northern senatorial district have been urged to eschew drugs abuse and violence in the interest of peace in the state.
The urge was made by the president of Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR), Professor Jonah Isawa Elaigwu, during the institute’s final matches for men and female basketball tournament for “Peace in Jos,” held at the Rwang Pam Township stadium.
Represented by the institute’s operational manager, Mr. Celestine Ukatu, he said the values that sports had was helping in disabusing the minds of the youths going into drugs abuse and violence.
He said: “The values that sports come with also help because if you are into sport one will not engage into drugs if he or she want to succeed and you will also not engage into violence.”
According to him the institute was motivated to choose sporting events in its efforts at ensuring sustainability of the relative peace in Jos and for the fact that sports encourages friendship.
“Apart from encouraging friendship, talents of the youths are also discovered,” he added.
Elaigwu said the institute have engaged so many youths into football, handball and basketball sporting events, skills acquisition and reorientation as part of the, “Peace in Jos,” programme.
He said so far the programme have been yielding positive results, more so with the efforts of the institute peace ambassadors, whose camping and training have made them denounce violence and were permeating such messages to other youths with communities in their localities.
Male and female basketball players were selected from within the six local government areas of the northern Plateau state, and put together into various teams bearing the names of all former commissioners of sports in the state.
