NAN-DS-3
Youths
By Muhammad Bashir
Dutse, Nov. 29, 2016 (NAN) The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Jigawa Command, said on Tuesday in Dutse it would organise a skills acquisition programme for youths in border towns of the state.
The Assistant Comptroller-General of NCS in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, stated this when he visited the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Muhammad.
Umar said the agency observed that most of those engaged in smuggling activities were youths, hence the need to engage them in legitimate businesses.
“We observed that youths in the area are the most engaged by their masters in smuggling activities.
“And these youth, who are in their productive ages, waste their energy, talent and time on illegal activities.
“So that is why we felt the need to engage them in various skills acquisition schemes at border towns to discourage them from smuggling.
“The initiative has been in operation in Kano state and is yielding positive result.
“And that is why I consulted our comptroller-general about extending it to Jigawa and he okayed it,’’ Umar said.
Umar said the Youths Skills Acquisition Scheme would start with 30 youths, to be trained in various income-generating trades.
According to him, the programme will be conducted in collaboration with the Jigawa government and other philanthropists in the state.
He said the scheme would be inaugurated in December.
According to him, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, the former Nigerian Ambassador to the UN, will serve as chief enlightener at the event, which will have Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa and the Emirs of Dingas and Murya, Niger Republic in attendance.
Responding, the Emir of Dutse said the programme would go a long way in checking smuggling activities among youths in state.
He said it would also reduce unemployment and restiveness among youths in the border communities.
Muhammad, therefore, urged the youths to avail themselves of the opportunity to be trained to become self-reliant. (NAN)
MNB/LAB/YEE
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim
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