The National Fish Association of Nigeria(NFAN),South-South region has described agriculture, especially a venture into fish farming as a sure way to stem the tide of pipeline vandalism, kidnapping and other heinous crimes common among youths in the region.
Speaking at a one-day NIFAN Zonal Summit held at the Nigerian Bar Association House in Port Harcourt, the National Vice-President ,National Fish Association of Nigeria, South-South Zone, Comrade Billy Prekunoma-a Thankyou, expressed deep concern that the agricultural sub-sector which comprised fish farming had long suffered neglect despite its potentials to provide millions of job for the youths across the nation.
According to him, with meaningful engagement, the youth would no longer find crime attractive as they were likely to maximize the full potentials of the agricultural value chain, especially fish farming. He recalled that the much talked about sooth incident in the atmosphere of the Niger Delta was caused by pipeline vandalism, illegal refining of crude oil, popularly known as bunkering, an activity he noted were usually carried out by the youths for survival. He regretted that this in turn negatively impacted the ozone layer with attendant risk to human health.
Comrade Thankyou said that fish farming could be regarded as vista of hope and can successfully replace vandalism, bunkering and other forms of criminality among teeming youths. He called on government of the region to work in concert in order to bring about a crime-free and healthy society as this would help strengthen weak agricultural institutions in the region.
