By John Bulus
GOMBE — Gombe State government has given immediate employment to 1,997 youths who have successfully completed their training under the state government Youth Rehabilitation and Empowerment Programme, YREP.

In the past three weeks, the youths were camped at the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Orientation Camp, Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area of the state for the training exercise.

In his speech during the passing out ceremony yesterday, Commissioner for Youth Empowerment and Poverty Eradication, YEPE, Alhaji Sani Labaran, said the occasion marked “the passing out of the reformed youths who for the past three weeks have passed through training programmes that have transformed them into useful citizens of the sate.”

He further stated that 500 of the youths had been deployed as environmental marshals, 500 others as Ward Marshals, while 197 were Traffic Marshals.

“The training programme consisted of para-military drills, emergency response, disaster management and raffic control.’’

Also speaking at the event, State Director of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr. Ado Solomon, said: “The first of the three weeks was very critical. It was the week we brought the youth in. Most of them were very raw. We drilled and took them through intensive training.’’