Yakubu Busari
The Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH), Major General Ibrahim Ali has admonished Plateau youth to shun religious and ethnic bitterness and work for the progress of the state.
The Commander made the call on Saturday 6 November 2021 during the 15 Kilometer Peace and Unity Marathon Competition organized by Operation SAFE HAVEN for youths in Sector 1, Jos North and Sector 5, Bokkos Local Government Areas of Plateau State,in a statement signed by Major Ishaku Takwa, the Military Information Officer.
Speaking at the two events, the Commander noted that the competition was a noble initiative aimed at driving the peace-building process in the state. He called for the harmonious living among people of different backgrounds and urged the youths to take the lead in ensuring peaceful co-existence for meaningful development of the state.
Major General Ali also commended the community leaders of Bokkos and Jos North for championing the peace process that has paved the way for harmonious living in their domains. He urged the people to be ambassadors of peace and cautioned the youths not to allow themselves to be used for nefarious activities that would affect their future.
While urging the populace to support Operation SAFE HAVEN by providing useful information on suspicious activities, General Ali encouraged the athletes to make good use of the opportunity provided by the competition to discover and develop their potentials towards becoming better persons in society.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Chairman, Bokkos Local Government Area, Hon Joseph Mushen and Chairman Jos North, Hon Shehu Bala Usman as well as the Saf Baffo, Da John Gabriel Mallo, and Hon Sani Mudi noted that the marathon competition provided an avenue to search for talented youths who could bring glory to the state and the country at large. They reiterated the commitment of the local councils and their traditional leadership to continually interact with security forces to achieve the desired peace on the Plateau.
Earlier in their remarks, the Commander Sector 1, Navy Capt LA Ajibade, and Commander Sector 5, Colonel Timothy Opurum, remarked that the marathon competition was organized to encourage physical fitness, promote peaceful living and friendliness among diverse ethnic and religious groups in the area. They maintained that the competition has provided youths across religious lines the opportunity to interact regardless of their differences.
The high point of the event was the presentation of medals, cash donations as well as cheques to the winners and participants of the marathon competition.
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