By Yunusa Isa, Gombe

In an effort to tackle insecurity in communities, The Gombe State Police Command in collaboration with Thrive Trek Entrepreneurs Centre and support from the state government, has flagged off a two weeks skills acquisition training for 20 selected Kalare Boys who waved bye to crimes and criminality in the state.

Speaking during the flagg off at the state police headquarters, the State Commissioner of Police CP Hayatu Usman, said “Arrest, prosecution and detention of these Kalare Boys in correctional centres alone cannot solve our security issues, we have to adopt other means, (carrots & stick and rehabilitation) and intimate our youths who are majorly the perpetrators of these crimes, support and empower them through education, preaching and skills acquisition for be self-reliant”.

CP Hayatu maintained that the measure has already started yielding positive results in Gombe Metropolis, as more than 250 Kalare youths have personally dumped their weapons for peace.

He commended Thrive Trek Entrepreneurs Centre for supporting the initiative, assuring of the command’s full support and cooperation to attaining the set objectives.

While calling on other NGOs to join the move, the commissioner encouraged well meaning individuals in the society to venture in for a more peaceful and prosperous Gombe State.

On his part, the special advisor to the state governor on security AIG Zubairu Mu’azu (retired), said the state government is doing everything to empower the youths by engaging them into various ventures like security and traffic regulations under its new initiative Gombe State Security, Traffic and Environmental Corps (GOSTEC), as well as the establishment of citizenship training school in Boltongo.

He said the school which is at 90% completion, can train over 200 youths on various skills at a time, adding that upon completion, the school will be the major rehabilitation centre of the repentanted Kalare youths.

AIG Mu’azu reassured of the state government’s commitments towards the success of the initiative.

On his part, a renowned Islamic scholar in Gombe, Sheikh Adamu Muhammad Dokoro who took time admonishing the youths, charged them to be serious on the training, be trustworthy and not to infringe on anybody’s rights.

He encouraged them to be religious, seek for knowledge and be self reliant, maintaining that with such, they can become responsible citizens and achieve whatever they want to achieve.

The scholar while appreciating the efforts of the police and the NGO, called on the state government to prioritize such initiatives by releasing enough funds for diversification to cover significant number of youths in the state.

Earlier speaking, the president of the Thrive Trek Entrepreneurs Centre Aliyu Babangida (National), said the centre which involved seven companies, was impressed by the youths commitments to peace, and decided to train them on skills for self-reliance, and to ensure they did not reverse to the old kalare trend.

Aliyu said the skills to train the youth on, include electric wirings, solar and CCTV camera installations amongst others.

The youths who are drawn from various communities of Gombe Metropolis, appreciated the police, the NGO and the state government for the reform initiative, while assuring of their commitments to lean the new skills.

The old Kalare Boys confessed that idleness and poverty have been the major drivers pushing them into crimes in the state.