About thousand and fifty youth have so far gained employment under the Youth Employment Programme in the Zabzugu/Tatale District of the Northern Region. The District Coordinator of the programme, Abukari Yahaya told the Times at the weekend, that a lot of those employed have started working in their various fields. He said 781 people were employed in the Agriculture sector, 255 employed as teaching assistants, 70 as health aids and 75 as community protection personnel. Mr. Yahaya said that the assembly had provided those engaged in the Agriculture model with 3000 bags of fertilisers. He was optimistic that the programme would be successful in view of the total commitment of all the stakeholders backed by the enthusiasm of the beneficiary youth. Under the waste and sanitation component of the programme, Mr. Yahaya said 25 people were engaged to collect garbage and waste in the district. He indicated that the office had started the spraying of households in the district to rid them of mosquitoes in an effort to reduce malaria. The District Chief Executive Alhaji Yakubu Bukari, for his part said that the government was committed to reducing poverty and thereby entreated the youth groups currently benefiting from programme to support it in achieving its goals and objectives. He also pleaded with the beneficiary groups not to do anything to derail the progress of the programme so that "it will help solve youth unemployment on a sustainable basis." Alhaji Bukari especially advised the teaching assistants to be committed and dedicated to their duties in order to help close the wide education gap between the area and other parts of the country. Alhaji Bukari however warned that the assembly would not hesitate to sanction those employed under the programme who do not work as expected of them. Times