Implement national voluntary programmes to address youth involvement in crime – Nigel Hughes

Jan 12, 2025 News

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By Christal Yong

Kaieteur News– Amid the recent surge in robberies and other crimes perpetrated by teenagers, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Nigel Hughes has called for the implementation of a national voluntary programme to tackle the issue.

Speaking at his party’s weekly press conference on Friday, Hughes emphasized the urgent need for a shift in how the country engages with its young people, particularly those who are struggling to access the skills and opportunities necessary for economic and personal development.

Hughes stated that many young people are entering society without the appropriate skills to thrive, and this lack of opportunity often leads them to crime.

“It is evident that we are releasing unto the society, young people … who don’t have appropriate skills to afford the proper opportunity for appropriate economic development and self-development and, as a consequence, the easiest thing that happens is they turn to crime, (which is) absolutely to be condemned,” the AFC leader said.

According to Hughes, the root of the problem lies in the country’s educational system, which he believes is failing many students. He pointed out that too many young people are either dropping out of school or, even if they finish, are not receiving proper certification.

The leader, who is also a prominent attorney-at-law said, “We now realize that several people are falling through the cracks and are either not finishing school or those that actually finish the five years, they are not getting certification.”

To address this, Hughes proposed the creation of a National Voluntary Programme aimed at providing large-scale training opportunities across the country. This programme, similar to a voluntary national service, would offer young people the chance to gain valuable skills, become certified, and receive important education, all while also focusing on discipline.

Hughes explained, “There is no society that has been successful in the modern world, in which there hasn’t been a high degree of discipline, high level of education and a high commitment to National Development Goals, you don’t get that by allowing people to fail and continue to fail and just leave it to them to find their way, it never happens, it requires leadership.”

In addition, Hughes stressed that while Guyana’s formal education system is failing, there is still hope for improvement. He stated that the country needs to collectively create opportunities for youth who fall outside the traditional education system. A key aspect of the proposed voluntary national service programme would be providing stipends to participants, so that they can support their families while undergoing training.

He asserted, “So at the end of that period, whether its eight months, nine months, a year, we will then have a better educated cadre of young people, who … come back into society (to contribute).”

In addition to education, Hughes also pointed to the failure of sports development in the country. He criticized the current approach, which he believes focuses too much on infrastructure, such as stadiums, rather than investing in coaching, training, and youth development programmes.

He argued that effective sports development should begin with investing in trainers and youth programmes, as seen in other countries that have used sports to engage young people and provide opportunities on the world stage.

“You don’t see potential because you got a fancy ground in Linden with lights, the potential is … what programme do you have for the development of those people and that is what is going to take young people off of the streets, with nothing to do and therefore their mischievous minds, it is what it is  – kids are mischievous. They are going to find things to do and unfortunately a lot of that perhaps is going to be criminal,” he reasoned.

Hughes cited that this is not a political issue but a national concern that requires collective effort.

“So, we, and I say, we as a country, this is not party-political dispute; we have to have a programme, a national programme,” the attorney said.

Recent youth involvement in crime

Several incidents involving young people between the ages of 11 and 17 have raised concerns about youth involvement in crime across the country.

Kaieteur News reported that on December 31, 2024, at a Chinese Restaurant on Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater  Georgetown, a 15-year-old suspect was captured following an armed robbery there.  One bandit was shot dead by a security guard, while another was apprehended. The third suspect managed to escape with the weapon.

On December 20, 2024, at Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, a 17-year-old bandit, identified as Carl Rolland Reid, was shot dead by a security guard after robbing a woman and her daughter there. Police discovered a toy gun and stolen cell phone on Reid’s body.

On October 29, 2024, a 13-year-old boy, Kareem Durant, was fatally stabbed by his 11-year-old friend during an argument at Cummings Park, Sophia. The conflict escalated when Durant attacked the suspect’s older brother, leading to the fatal stabbing by the younger brother.

On November 5, 2024, at Durban Park, a 14-year-old boy was shot and beaten after his friend, known as ‘Ranks,’ robbed a woman of her handbag. The victim was left with a gunshot wound to his chest after a public chase, while his friend managed to escape.

(Implement national voluntary programmes to address youth involvement in crime – Nigel Hughes)

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• AFC, crime, Nigel Hughes, violence, youth

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