I’m demonstrating how to tackle terrorism, unemployment, says Reps member

Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

 

The Vice Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Air Force, Hon. Abass Adigun (aka Agboworin) has advised government at all levels to embrace economic empowerment approach in the fight against terrorism and other forms of crime in order to record success.

Adigun gave the advice while addressing reporters shortly after declaring open a training programme for 150 youths in his constituency. The youths were trained in agribusiness. Each beneficiary will receive N50, 000 as start-up capital.

Adigun, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency of Oyo State, spent N7.5 million on the empowerment programme. He is also a member of the House Committee on Navy and Police.

The lawmaker, who retired from the United States Navy, posited that merely recruiting more military personnel and equipping them will not totally guarantee defeat of terrorism by Nigeria because poverty and unemployment make it easy for terrorists to recruit youths into their fold.

Adigun advised the federal, state and local governments, particularly in Northeast Nigeria, to partner in empowering youths in the zone in addition to the military onslaught against the terrorists. By adding empowerment which is carefully planned and monitored for effective delivery, Hon. Adigun said terrorists will find it difficult to recruit more youths into their fold thereby decimating their strength automatically.

Read Also: PDP to Gbajabiamila: Steer clear of our members

He posited that the success of the military against terrorists in Nigeria is eroded by easy recruitment to strengthen their ranks which he said is being made easy by poverty and unemployment.

The lawmaker urged the 150 beneficiaries in the first batch of the empowerment programme to embrace the new skills being learnt in the training and use the money judiciously for its purpose, adding that the empowerment was a fulfilment of one of his campaign promises.

The beneficiaries were trained in poultry production, fishery and agric-related trades by officials from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation and Aslak Global Resources.

Assuring them of ready market for their products, Adigun told the beneficiaries that he purchased 200 live chickens for about N900, 000 last Christmas which he distributed to some people in his constituency. He assured that he would not hesitate to patronize them along with others if they succeed in their agric business.

The lawmaker urged his constituents that were not picked for the first batch of the programme not to despair, assuring them of making subsequent batches.

Hon. Adigun also disclosed that his scholarship and bursary programmes are helping hundreds of students in his constituency. He emphasized that education is a major key through which individuals and the society at large can unlock wealth, good health and development.