We removed 50,000 youths from streets to curb crime - Lalong

Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has said that the removal of 50,000 idle youths from the streets through the creation of Plateau Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (PLASMEDA) has reduced crime and other nefarious activities in the state.

Lalong stated this at a roundtable discussion on the role of sub-national governments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change held on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly in New York.

A statement issued by the governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Simon Macham, stated that Lalong reaffirmed his commitment to broaden the implementation of the SDGs in his state and explained that Goal 16 which seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive society for sustainable development as well as provide access to justice for all was central to his administration.

The governor also said with peace restored to his state, his administration has now focused on infrastructural development by completing abandoned projects and embarking on new ones spread across the 17 LGAs.

On the implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, Lalong was quoted as saying Plateau was working on reducing the emission of CO2, increasing the use of energy-efficient appliances and machines and increasing the ratio of renewable energy.

He explained that the Renewable Energy Strategy and Rural Electrification Plan will energise over 550 communities using Solar Mini-Grid Electrification adding that the state has already commissioned the first two pilot plants in two communities.

“We have also identified 28 potential Small HydroPower points with generating capacities ranging from 1MW to 60MW on the Plateau, apart from the four currently operated by NESCO,” he stated.