From Okwe Obi, Abuja
President of Barr Sam Otoboeze Foundation (BSOF), Sam Otoboeze, has argued that insecurity can be tackled if government at all levels would focus more on creating jobs and empowering entrepreneurs.
Otoboeze, who spoke at one day training programme of select youths on poverty alleviation, recently in Abuja, maintained that the use of threat and force would achieve little or nothing because perpetrators of crimes are victims of poverty and unemployment.
He, however, disclosed that his foundation and the Ochima Foundation would empower some entrepreneurs with an initial take off grant of N200,000 each to support their businesses.
“There is overdependence on State actors to handle security issues. But as we can see on daily basis there is that multiplication of various security challenges, so it is right to say that security problems are increasing geometrically.
“This is rooted basically on hunger, unemployment, scarce means of sustenance of life, and in that kind of situation you can talk to somebody who is not hungry and he will listen to you but when hunger comes he will not listen until that is settled he may not hear.
“We are convinced that most of the people languishing in the cells of prison yards were not born to be criminals, so what do we do? Looking at the population growth and the dwindling resources to sustain the population and looking at the increase in crime, it is high time that something else is done,” he said.
He explained that, “the one day training programme on ‘poverty alleviation is to curb insecurity in Nigeria. It is an initiative to sensitize the youths on various security issues capable of burying their dreams, skills training alternatives to create self employment opportunities and to support serious minded young entrepreneurs.
“The Ochima Foundation is an NGO platform through which Ochima development Tools Kit (ODTK) contains essential alternative solutions to security challenges in the society.
“It is a revolutionary departure from over-dependence and reliance on the government to provide jobs for all and to secure everyone in the society.
“It is obvious from BSOF perspective that youths and women empowerment is imperative for enhanced security in the society.
“In order to sustainably achieve this both foundation are mutually committed to remain intentional and focused on youths and women empowerment programs through skills training, advocacy, sensitization and community-based entrepreneurship intervention programme.”