Dear Editor,
There are many former senior military and para-military personnel who have left the disciplined services who can be invited by the government to serve their country once again. Some of these persons may be retirees while others are below the retirement age.
It is unwise for the government to let go of highly trained personnel at all levels of the services and not ensure that they are productively employed after leaving the service. During the 1970s a special policy existed that ensured that those who returned to civilian life were offered jobs that made them feel appreciated. Many were placed in government corporations as chief security officers.
Those who were academically trained were placed in civil service jobs, some in government ministries and various other areas of employment.
The government needs to see the wisdom in this approach. I have read of many instances where some of the persons caught were identified as former service personnel. From a security intelligence point of view my suggestion has merit.
The devil finds work for idle hands. The economy has failed to generate enough jobs hence there is motivation for the unemployed to be tempted by the success of those who chose to rob, plunder and steal. Jobs must be created.
The national service that was abandoned by the PPP government was a feeder unit for the police force and the army. We never had problems in attracting people to the army or police because the GNS existed and youths were already militarily trained when they joined the disciplined services (police or army).
I hope that the president will reintroduce programmes that provided for the mass vocational training of our many school leavers and a shift of the population from the coastland.
Yours faithfully,
Linden Jordan
