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{
    "id": 122440,
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    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is also a very important recommendation that has also been made here and it is important that I refer to it. It is recommendation No.6, which says that the matter of unemployed youth must be placed on the Government’s priority agenda to deal with emerging trends of youths turning to crime due to idleness and hopelessness. There is no doubt that if there were adequate opportunities to the young people, the criminal activities that we are seeing in this country would drop a lot. It is important that we do everything possible to make sure that the opportunities for gainful employment for our people are available. The Government is doing whatever it can. However, there is one thing that I want to say here. The issue of unemployment, just as the issue of poverty, requires strong partnership between the Government, its partners, the private sector, the NGOs, Members of Parliament and generally all members of the public. Unemployment and poverty remain a major problem in this country. It is not a joke, because where we have unemployment or poverty for that matter--- Poverty is almost synonymous with unemployment. When there is a state of unemployment; it means that people are hungry. That means that people can easily engage in crime. That is what has led to this problem. It is important that we take into account the fact that a nation that does not worry about its own young people cannot call itself a proper nation, because the future of any nation is in preparing the youth of today. It is, therefore, important to open up opportunities for the youth of today. That is the only way in which we can be in a position to ensure that all the youths are not in any way tempted to become members of criminal gangs. That is a very important recommendation that has been made by the taskforce on this matter. This Committee has done a wonderful job. It is improper that I go through all the recommendations. However, there are two of them that I should refer to. Recommendation No. 12 is very important and worth being taken into account by the House. It says that the Government ought to institute a multi-dimensional approach in the war against organized criminal gangs; this approach should include community policing, de-oathing and rehabilitation of sect deserters, tough legislative structures, civic education to victims of extortional gangs to resist temptations to commit crimes. It is so important that this be done. It is important that all of us be involved in this approach."
}