By Abraham Olatunbosun
The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency , CESJET has once again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sign into law the National Youth Service Corps NYSC trust fund bill that was recently passed into law by the National Assembly.
The Executive Secretary of CESJET, Isaac Ikpa at a press conference in Abuja. said the signing into law of the bill will bring economic prosperity to Nigerian Youths.
Ikpa said CESJET is elated that a brilliant initiative such as the NYSC-TF has received the approval of the National Assembly after extensive deliberations on its pros and cons.
“It is instructive to mention that the provisions of the NYSC-TF are well-intentioned and positioned to address the challenges faced by the teeming youthful population in the country.
“As concerned stakeholders in the country, we were a part of the process that culminated in the Bill at its initial stages, like many other civil society groups. Our involvement was essential to understand first-hand what the NYSC-TF aimed to achieve” he said
He said CESJET’s acceptance of the NYSC-TF was borne out of its rich provisions that systematically touched on critical youth development and empowerment areas. It suffices to add that the NYSC-TF would serve as a game changer regarding youth development and empowerment in the country.
This much he said has been highlighted by various stakeholders as well positioned to harness the potential of the youths in the county. And we could not agree less, given the peculiarities of the time and the need for government to explore ways to harness the potential of youths in the quest for sustainable growth and development.
“We are using this medium to call President Muhammadu Buhari to give presidential assent to signal a new beginning for the teeming youths in the country in our quest for sustainable growth and development.
“This is on the heels that the NYSC-TF has the potential to transform the lives of our youths for good by making them entrepreneurs and employers of labour. The strategic import of a positively engaged youthful population cannot be overemphasized.
“Youth empowerment can curb the rate of poverty to a large extent. One of the keys to empowering the youth is skill development. When a youth is equipped with essential skills, they can use them to feed, assist others, and even invest for future use, aiding the nation economically.
“The benefits of youth empowerment programs are improved social skills, behaviour, academic achievement, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Youth empowerment plays a vital and significant role in poverty alleviation and eradication from society. It is our firm conviction that empowered youth focuses more on the development of their skills to make it a better source of earning for them in the early stages.
“An empowered and dedicated youth works hard and creates employment opportunities for them to gain financial freedom and contribute to the economy of the country.
We wish to state unequivocally that the NYSC-TF is well positioned to achieve the above-mentioned when signed into law, hence the necessity of the presidential assent required to begin a new journey for Nigerian youths.
We wish to inform President Muhammadu Buhari that the benefits accrued to the country are unending with the NYSC-TF; the urgency now requires that presidential assent is given to the NYSC-TF.
“We also wish to use this medium to commend all stakeholders that were part of the processes that culminated in the birth of the NYSC-TF. From civil society groups to youth groups and other concerned stakeholders, including the leadership of the National Youth Service Corp., It was indeed a robust engagement that has culminated in one of the best policy decisions of this present administration.
:We also commend the members of the National Assembly for their display of patriotism. By this act, the National Assembly has reinforced once again that there are worthy partners of progress in the manner the Bill was scrutinized, amended and passed into law.
We must realize that Nigeria has all it takes to attain greatness, and the role of the youth in this regard cannot be overemphasized. As such, it is incumbent on the relevant authorities to see that the NYSC-TF is granted presidential assent.
“We desire that the coming on board of the NYSC-TF would signal a new beginning for the youths and the country in general. And gone would be the era where our youths would roam the streets in search of white-collar jobs that have remained elusive. Instead, we shall celebrate entrepreneurs, innovators and employers of labour”
We do not doubt the readiness of President Muhammadu Buhari to give his assent to the NYSC-TF in the days and weeks ahead because, since the inception of his administration, he has displayed an unalloyed commitment toward youth development in the country” he said
