Youths in Pemba urged to maintain peace, stability

MEMBERS of the public in Pemba, particularly the youths, have been asked to continue protecting, defending and maintaining peace and political stability in the country.

Advocacy and Communication Officer, the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) Mr Nizar Suleiman Utanga said maintaining peace and stability was the only way to support and enable leaders to spearhead planning and implementation of development programmes to the benefit of people without discrimination.

Mr Utanga emphasised this to the young people in Pemba Island where a series of entertainment bonanza dubbed ‘Our Peace, my future’ project was organised at different occasions.

He said that attaining development goals relies heavily on peace and political stability, urging youths and citizens in general to continue promoting them, in support of what our Presidents – Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan and Dr Hussein Mwinyi have been doing to bring development.

He explained that NCA has been collaborating with various peace stakeholders, including the Zanzibar Interfaith to sensitise the community including the youth on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the country.

“We have decided to organise a bonanza with the aim of bringing people, targeting youths because they play an important role in maintaining peace, as they can easily be tempted or driven to break peace,” he said.

On his part, the UVCCM Chairman for Northern Pemba Region, Mr Hashir Ali Said, commended the NCA for the timely important peace project, “I urge my fellow citizens and young people to defend, protect, and maintain peace at any cost. We understand the importance of its presence in the country.”

He asked the youth not to accept being influenced to break the prevailing peace and to realise that they are the main victims when there is a lack of peace.

“Let the youth focus on working to earn income because both President Samia and Mwinyi have set an enabling environment for entrepreneurship,” he said.

“I ask the NCA to continue providing us with incentives like this bonanza because it brings together young people from different areas to exchange ideas and continue to maintain the existing peace,” he explained.

Mr Ismail Ali Hamad- Education Officer, Micheweni District administrative council, on behalf of the Micheweni District Commissioner (DC), thanked the Norwegian Church Aid for organising the Bonanza with a message of peace as it enables the country’s top leaders to carry out their activities without worries.

Mr Haji Mussa Khatib from the Zanzibar Wakfu and Trust Commission argues that peace is an important issue in human life, so it is everyone’s responsibility to put forward patriotism by promoting it so that it does not disappear.