The Federation Government is set to create 30,000 jobs through the Community Safety and Human Security Programme (CSHSP) initiative to reduce crimes and violence across the country.
The Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Sen. George Akume, made the disclosure at the inauguration of a 22-man committee of CSHSP, Nasarawa State chapter, on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had, early in the year, inaugurated a committee on CSHSP, with members drawn from security institutions, relevant ministries and various civil society organisations.
NAN also reports that CSHSP was aimed at making the country safe, secure and violence-free, particularly at the grassroots.
Akume said that CSHSP was also working towards creating skilled manpower for 50,000 persons in all the 774 local government area, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Implementation of CSHSP is prepared to work with relevant security institutions, stakeholders and non-state actors in expanding the narratives and intelligence toward community safety,” he said.
The minister, however, expressed worries that in spite of efforts by government, NGOs and community leaders to stem the tide of insecurity and violence, crimes in the country were still on the increase.
According to him, the country’s national security, under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, places emphasis on enhancing the social well-being of citizens.
Also speaking, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, commended the Federal Government for the choice of the state in the hosting the programme, after the inauguration of CSHSP members at the federal level.
According to Sule, the programme is to demonstrate federal government’s commitment to safety, where everyone has a role to play in ensuring the development of sustainable communities.
“The event is timely, coming at a time when the nation is faced with intermittent security challenges and its attendant consequences on human lives and socio-economic development of the nation.
“The programme is a response to complexities of security threats, ethnic violence and communal clashes that we have in the country,” he said.
In his contributions, the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, represented by Mr Ibiloye Oluyemi, Deputy Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), pledged his readiness to give maximum support to the initiative.
I will deploy all the machineries within the ministry to ensure that this laudable initiative succeeds,” he said.