29th September, 2023
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Commissioner for Youths in Rivers, Chisom Gbali has said the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara will not follow the path of its predecessors by granting amnesty to criminal gangs terrorizing the people of the State.
Gbali who revealed this on Thursday in Port Harcourt said this was because granting amnesty to criminals will encourage others to join in carrying arms for killing and other criminal activities.
“Granting amnesty to cultists will only encourage more youths into criminality,” Dr. Gbali stated, during a live interview session at a Port Harcourt based radio station: Nigerian Info 92.3 FM.
“What we had in 2019 by the Presidency was Amnesty due to agitation by the people of the Niger Delta who were agitating for inclusion, mainstreaming and integration into oil This is still ongoing as the quest for that mainstreaming has not been met. This agitation was what led to amnesty and it was worth it at that time. But I’m saying this is not always the best approach, this is not always the way to go,” he said.
The Commissioner said that rather than being reactive to issues of cultism and criminality, the administration of Fubara has decided to be proactive by empowering youths with skills in ICT, entrepreneurship and other vocations.
“Rivers Youth have been adjudged to be unemployable, but we are changing that narrative because we are not just planning for them, but we are making them part of what we are doing,” he said.
He added that in its bid to harness the dexterity and energy of the youths in the state for useful endeavors, his Ministry has come up with a working plan tagged “Preparedness Plan for Rivers Youth Paradigm from Unemployability to Resourcefulness.”
According to him, the under the initiative, youths in the state will be trained to be resourceful and empowered to earn multiple streams of income.
“Some have gone far (in vices) and will need rehabilitation, especially our youth that are drug-ridden. There is nobody we cannot get back to their feet,” the Commissioner said.
He said having gone to 16 out of 23 LGAs for Youth Sensitization and Advocacy visit under the express approval of the Governor, he has been assured that youths are willing to be part of the Preparedness Plan of the Ministry.
Gali added that the state government is also partnering with the Federal Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to train youths in various fields beginning from the first quarter of next year.
He urged youths in the state to seize the opportunity to better their lives.