By Elkas Sannoh – 23 August 2019
Hon. Lusine Kallon, who happens to be the country’s Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, has led a delegation from UN’s New York office to the South and Eastern provinces of Sierra Leone on a perception survey about the security risk associated with the youths.
This move is in line with President Julius Maada Bio’s agenda to empower young people and prepare them to be productive citizens at all levels.
“My mission is to deliver and because the President believes in young people this is why he is working hard to provide the needed environment through the Ministry of Youth Affairs,” the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs told a high-powered delegation in Kenema.
He said they are on a joint assessment mission to know the patterns of recruitment and mobilization of youths into cliques and gangs across the country.
According to him, they intend to identify some elements that could contribute to empowering youth at risk to become a productive force at the community level in order to facilitate the long-term development goal of the country.
The Local Unit Commander, Musa James, said the Sierra Leone Police is the national police force that is primarily responsible for law enforcement and crime investigation throughout the country. He admitted that crime rate is high and young people are strongly involved in perpetration of all sort of crimes. He confirmed that the police have been very vigilant in policing lives and properties of all citizens.
LUC James said they have instituted redress mechanisms through their community policing and their partnership with the Local Police Partnership Board in dealing with youth in conflict with the law.
In his statement, the District Coordinator, Office of National Security, said security issue is collective and therefore commended the Youth Ministry for such an assessment to bring out solutions in salvaging the problems affecting young people.
