By Brima Sannoh
Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura, a former Commissioner of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), has strongly admonished young people to completely reject any form of been misused by politicians or others for their own personal aggrandizements.
As one of the Guest Speakers, the erudite former IMC Commissioner gave that admonition during a two- day International Youth Empowerment Summit, which brought together other youths from all the Mano River Union countries, commencing on the 15th and ending on the 16th January 2021 at the University of Makeni Auditorium, Northern Sierra Leone, with the theme, “Global Commitment Towards the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
Alhaji Dauda furthered that it is indeed refreshing to meet, talk and exchange ideas with brothers and sisters from all political spectrum, walks of life, regions all over the world on such an important topic with the main focus on Promoting Youth in Peace Building.
The prolific young IPAM lecturer highlighted that it is very clear that forty-six percent(46%) of the world’s population is under twenty-five years of age and the highest proportion of young people are in Africa and the Middle East.
He said what that portends is the incontrovertible fact that the energy required to take the world to the next level of development resides in Africa which therefore means that the world depends on Africa not only for its minerals, abundant water and fertile land but more importantly Africa’s burgeoning youth population represents a critical ingredient in the world’s socio – economic progress now and going forward.
Alhaji Dauda said that fact places a huge responsibility on young people meaning that the African youth need to step up the plate and rise to the challenge.
“It means we must endeavor to be productive, self- motivated, hardworking, innovative and responsible,” he underscored adding that the days of “Pa u Borbor Dae Oh” are now over.
Ex-Commissioner Dauda said the African Youth must demonstrate to the PAs that they the “Borbors” are ready, able and willing to lead whether as entrepreneurs, civil society activists, human rights defenders, journalists, innovators or political leaders.
“I believe if we put our hearts to doing well, nothing can stop us from achieving our aspirations,” he admonished and added that such means they have an aspiration in the first place.
He intimated that they should first agree that they as young people are assets and not tools to be used by anyone further advising that it means they must set very clear goals and objectives and set out to achieve those goals and objectives.
According to him, the youth of our time, are the youth who enjoy spending time in the library or lab, or workshop, learning something rather than wasting all their precious time in ghettoes drinking, drugging themselves and waiting to be picked up by a user who will then manipulate them for their own benefits.
He averred that by being productive and refusing to be used as political tools for instance is in itself a big contribution to peace.
“By organizing such events where we all meet and exchange ideas on how we should proceed irrespective of political affiliations, ethno- regional considerations, represents a big contribution to national cohesion,” he stated which was followed by a deafening round of applause from the audience .
The charismatic former IMC Commissioner noted that this also means that the youth must come together as they did in attending the conference to demand from their Governments and international organizations to provide the enabling environment and the opportunities they need to pursue their dreams.
He said such is important from his personal experience. Alhaji Dauda explained that in 2014 the former President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, appointed him as a Commissioner of the Independent Media Commission, which placed him as youngest person to have been appointed to such a position by a democratically elected President of Sierra Leone.
He said such did not happen by mistake, not because of any role played in perpetuating political violence, not because of a role played in disturbing the peace, but because the former President saw in him a panache and the ability to help regulate the media landscape which is very crucial to the maintenance of peace in Sierra Leone.
Dilating on the well-known saying, “Youths are the future leaders” he said he does not believe in that saying as it does not apply anymore saying it doesn’t apply to him, it doesn’t apply to the youth simply because they are already “Leaders of Today”.
He said young people are a unique resource capable of developing innovative solutions for peace and development in their various countries also stating that as youth leaders they should not only talk the talk but work the talk.
“We will hear the best speeches today because all the guest speakers are wonderful and young people who have made tremendous achievements in Sierra Leone but away from here, we must endeavor to put into practice what we would articulate here and ensure that we constitute ourselves as stakeholders in the national pursuit of peace, reconciliation and cohesion,” he cautioned which was greeted by a thunderous round of applauses.
Alhaji Dauda Bangura stated that more than at any time in our history, Sierra Leone needs to united and peaceful maintaining that we need to rise above rancor and consolidate the peace this country enjoyed 13 years ago.
He said they all have roles to play in achieving that because they are champions of development and change in communities and societies and their roles as contributors to conflict prevention and peace building are very important.
“The UN Security Council Resolution 2250 has recognized youths’ positive contributions to peace, let us embrace that and ensure our countries continue to maintain peace and national cohesion,” he further admonished.
He called on all to embrace peace and national cohesion for the development of peace in the country asking the Almighty Allah to continue to guide and protect the youth of this country, Africa and the world at large.
The keynote address was delivered by the Inspector General of Police, Michael Sovula.
Statements were also delivered by the former Youth Minister, Bai Mamoud Bangura, SLPP Women’s Leader Fatmata Sawaneh, Marcella Samba of the National Election Watch, a representative from Liberia and others from various organizations.
