SAN FRANCISCO, September 26, (THEWILL) – Borno State Government in partnership with the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) on Thursday inaugurated an empowerment programme tagged Borno Youth Empowerment Scheme (BOYES) for some 800 youth vigilante members, popularly called Civilian JTF, who have been assisting the security operatives in hunting down Boko Haram members in the state.
Governor Kashim Shettima who inaugurated the programme said government was gradually setting a stage towards ensuring a comprehensive state policing even as he noted that the youth volunteers, now BOYES, are the greatest assets of Borno because of their zeal and commitment towards ensuring the immediate return of peace in the state.
“ The aim of the Borno State Youth Orientation and Empowerment Scheme is to ensure our youth discover or rediscover their potentials, enhance these potentials with necessary skills, indoctrinate them into having a better organised love for their fatherland, make them conscious of what goes within and around them, train them to be conscious of the security of wider civilian population without taking laws into their hands so that they can lawfully help in policing their own communities.
“These youth have demonstrated extra-ordinary courage and love for Borno State. They are like soldiers who return from the war front and should be integrated into the larger society. We are training them to be conscious of the security situation around them. We are training about 632 in the first batch and after their training, we would ensure that they are properly engaged.
“I am assuring you that, after this batch, we would again train another set of 800 youths and would continue so as to make sure that they are adequately compensated for their sacrifice for the peace of Borno state, “ the governor explained.
Reacting on behalf of the beneficiaries, Yusuf Garba expressed gratitude to Shettima for his support to Borno youths, saying since their camping at the NYSC camp, they have witnessed tremendous changes in their behavioural attitude in comparison to their old life style.
Garba promised that they would continue to respect and support security agencies in tackling the security situation in the state by putting more effort in their work.
