We’re working to bring back Nigeria’s lost peace – YIDIN president

Comrade Sadiq Badamasi Ibrahim is the president of Youth Initiative for Diversity in Nigeria (YIDIN), a Non Governmental Organisation formed with the objective of restoring peace in Nigeria.  In this interview with TOPE SUNDAY and DOROTHY AMAKE, he speaks about the programme of his organisation  and why government should empower the youth

What is the concept behind YIDIN?

I lived in Jos, Kano and Bauchi where I attended schools while growing up. In Jos, as a child, I grew up with both Christians and Muslims and we were all looking forward to celebrating Christmas and bazaars at that time.

As a Muslims, I attended Christian fellowships with my friends and they also followed me to the Mosque during fasting period (Ramadan).

We did fast together and we always broke our fasting together. During this process, we would sit on the same mat, and this helped to promote unity and harmony among us. The diversity we are talking about was there because we lived with people of different tribes and languages.

But when the Jos crisis started we could no longer do things together as one. You see people you grew up with like 25 years back moving out to new places because the Muslims are many in that area. They sell their houses and move to another area. The new people that will move in, you cannot share anything with them because they are people you barely know.

So, Youth Initiative for Diversity in Nigeria (YIDIN) is all about bringing the peoples of cultural diversities and tribes together to bring the back our lost peace. We have problems not only in Plateau state but in Nigeria generally.

As somebody who grew up in Jos and who had witnessed some of these problems, I felt I needed to do something to preserve our diversity that is being threatened. In short, that is why we came up with YIDIN to restore peace in Nigeria.

Would you say you have achieved this objective?

I can’t say am satisfied but I thank God for where we have reached, though, we have not reached the bus stop, I am happy and appreciate God for the little we have achieved. We have gone far and have covered 34 states in Nigeria and we are doing well in all the states but I can’t say we have achieved what we want to achieve but we are coming up.

Last year YIDIN assisted the less privileged in one of the communities in the FCT. What was the reason behind this?

It’s all about passion for something. When you have that passion you can go extra miles but without passion, you can’t go further. The one you witnessed last year was organised between December 22nd and 24, at Kobi Makaranta.

We decided to go and live with them for three days and shared in their experiences and saw what changes we could bring in their lives.

Consequently, when we visited, the FCDA’s Gender Director, Mrs Agnes Uta Hart, we told her about our plans and she requested we get a list of school children for scholarship up to secondary level.

Similarly, we got them firewood, clothing, and foodstuff, because we knew they needed those things. I can’t really say the number of people that benefitted from YIDIN’s programmes because we have gone to different states, and different IDPs’ camps. We have also secured jobs for youths.

So, besides jobs for unemployed youths, how is YIDIN empowering the youth?

Let me tell you this, the number of the people that have benefitted from YIDIN’s programmes are many and I don’t even know most of them.

Even, if I see them today I can’t recall. Most times when they call, I find it hard to remember them. When NDE gave us some empowerment programmes which we gave out, some youths came from Jos, Kaduna and other places just to make them busy.

We believe that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. That is why youth are easily being manipulated for evil activities. I can boldly tell you that we have a building at Lugbe called “YIDIN Village” where we have youths from different parts of the country living. Once you have a genuine job you are doing we can give you accommodation.

Who is responsible for the feeding residents of YIDIN Village?

They are responsible for their feeding and other day- to- day up keep. We only give them free shelter.

Some people believe that organisations like yours are sponsored by politicians, what is your take on this?

We are in partnership with media houses not political parties or politicians. We do get invites to visit politicians but we have never visited any.

I source funds personally. Also, we visit our matrons and patrons for patronage and they give us whatever they have. I can body say anywhere that no politician has ever sponsored any of our programmes.

Despite your efforts, Nigerian youths are still being used as political thugs. In what way are you addressing this?

That is why we have empowerment through programmes like NDE. We get youths to benefit from it so that they can be self-employed. Those are some of the things we have been doing and they have helped a lot.

The major problem of the country comes from the youth and we don’t want to be addressed as the problem anymore which is why we decided to start sensitising them. Before the elections we went to villages to talk to youths to say no to whatever they are trying to use to influence them to sell their votes because they indirectly selling their future.

In all these, we see it as personal or individual effort for government to come in at the national, state and local level to address these issues. Government can come in and sponsor some of our programmes like our empowerment programmes they can help the youth to be independent, have focus and be creative.

As I am talking to you, I can make palm sandals and I am still doing my business. I have Salam Leatherwood in Jos, it’s my company. We do leather shoes, belt, and bags. These are the type of things we want the government to sponsor like what the NDE is doing. They are training youths on poultry farming, fishery, catering, soap making, perfume making, after which they give them some token to go start up something. These are the things government needs do for the youth, help them to be creative and have things doing thereby they won’t be idle to be used for negative things.

If they are busy making a living, they won’t be enticed by N5000 or N10,000 politicians do give to them.

Your organisation is working towards peace in Nigeria are you affiliated to Global Peace Initiative?

We target to achieve peace in the world and that is why the global peace initiative, a project of Youth Initiative Diversity in Nigeria (YIDIN) came about to advocate global peace.

We have our global peace ambassadors all over the world. Our ambassadors in Nigeria like their counter-parts all over the world are selected because of their track record. They do not have any criminal records and other negative records.

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