Reps canvass establishment of vocation, sports centres in Borno
The House of Representatives has called for the establishment of vocational and sports centres in Borno to actively engage youths in the state.
The call was a sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Midala Balami (PDP-Borno) at plenary on Thursday.
The house urged the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development (FMHDS) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to embark on the projects in a bid to curb insecurity and sustain relative peace in the state.
Moving the motion earlier, Balami said that the over-a-decade-long insurgency in the Northeast, especially the Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe axis, had grossly affected the socio-economic well-being of the people of Askira-Uba and Hawua local government areas.
He said that in spite of the horrific situation, it was pertinent to acknowledge that there had been a recent level of improvement in the security and stability of the region.
According to the lawmaker, there is a need to consolidate and continue to build on the progress achieved.
Balami said that it required strategic initiatives that would counter some of the causative factors of the crisis—pervasive poverty, gross social discontent, unemployment, employability, and underemployment, among others.
“Establishing the centres will have a multi-faceted impact, which includes but is not limited to skill development, employability, entrepreneurship, and self-employment; reduction of unemployment; social well-being; transferable life skills; and social integration.
“The vocational training and sports centres will play a pivotal role in the facilitation and promotion of sustainable socio-economic well-being, including the promotion of peace, security, and development of the affected communities, Borno, and the Northeast zone at large.
He said the establishment of vocational training and sports centres would immensely empower the hardworking youths and women of Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency.
The house urged the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) to consider, as a matter of strategic importance, the massive construction of modern vocational training and sports centres in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
The Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, mandated the committees on the North-East Development Commission, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees (IDPs), and Labour, Employment, and Productivity, when constituted, to ensure compliance.
