The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) has recommended community sports as panacea to drug abuse among youths in the country.
The National Coordinator of POCACOV, CSP Ebere Amaraizu, said this on Friday in Enugu while addressing newsmen on a new framework of engagement of youthful minds under “Our Children Must Thrive Programme”.
Amaraizu noted that there was much that would be achieved in the areas of cutting the supply chains that led youths to get involved in crime and criminality, especially cultism and other vices, using the instrumentality of community sports.
According to him, community sports is community policing-inclined and will help in the reduction of youth involvement in crime, boost their mental and health being for a greater society.
He said: “Another aspect of the use of instrumentality of community sports is that it will help in the creation of a sense of civic engagement and a great way of introducing mentorship into a child’s life.
“It is also a platform to bring young, adult, old, male and female together as members of a community, irrespective of their religion, social and academic statutes, tribe and political affiliation as well as trigger meaningful connections and social bonds.”
Amaraizu added that community sports was enriching, to the extent that it would make young minds understand coping and overcoming challenges as well as becoming articulate in decision making.
“Being able to overcome challenges and articulate in decision making can be achieved for instance, in the game of chess, boxing, taekwondo, football etc.
“Through the instrumentality of community sports, young minds will understand a lot concerning hard work, dedication and its benefit,” he said.
The POCACOV coordinator explained that the community sports framework would involve relevant stakeholders, especially the National Institute of Sports (NIS) who are vested with the responsibility of training of sports coaches and development of athletes.
“The collaboration with NIS was to ensure that sports at the community level would be deepened to connect its values for a peaceful, safer and secured community.
“The community sports framework will enshrine fair play, sportsmanship, excellence, friendship, tolerance, discipline and respect among others on the character of youths.
“The community sports framework has been developed with modules of engagement and method of measurement of impact and review to strengthen friendly and healthy bonds among youths,” he added. (NAN)
