Jonathan Administration is dedicated to youth development – Boni Haruna

The Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan is more than ever committed to the wellbeing and development of the lives of the teeming youths of Nigeria against the backdrop of several economic empowerment initiatives and other programmes put in place for their overall development.

While speaking to the 2014 Batch ‘A’ Corps members deployed to Borno and Gombe States at the Gombe State permanent orientation camp in Malam Sidi, Gombe recently, the Minister said he was there to see the welfare of the corps members. He also told the 1,717 corps members that Government is conscious of the need to build on the successes recorded so far and is motivated by the desire to provide enabling environments for the youths to discover and harness their potentials through the National Youth Development Fund. He indicated that the bill which is to be sent to the National Assembly has already been approved by President Jonathan and the Federal Executive Council.

Boni Haruna further stated that the National Youth Development Fund was conceived to give the youths a veritable platform to develop their entrepreneurial abilities through access to fund which will enable them to be self-reliant as well as imbue them with capabilities for engaging other youths. 

He explaining on the rationale for the youths to be focused on job creation initiatives that the public service worldwide has been shrinking due to technological innovation and advancement; saying it has thus become imperative for the youths to look inward towards developing their potentials and capabilities. He reasoned that to effectively achieve this goal, the youths need to acquire new skills and entrepreneurial capabilities to help them to realize their ambitions.

In another development, the Minister in an interview with journalists at the camp disclosed that the Federal Government has put in place adequate security for the corps members for the 2015 elections. 

He recalled the sad event which occurred during the post-2011 election death of some corps members and noted that no responsible government would ignore the security of its citizens. He promised that the Ministry will work with all the stakeholders to ensure that the corps members are adequately protected in 2015. Adding, he would implore his tenure to address the challenges confronting the youths. 

The Minister appealed to the Governor of Gombe State to put the NYSC in the State under the Ministry of Youth Development and Poverty Alleviation instead of the present arrangement which places the scheme under the Office of the Head of Service. He observed that even if the present arrangement is beneficial to the State, it is not in line with the law and stressed that the Governor should effect the change. 

Speaking earlier, the State Co-ordinator of NYSC in Gombe State, Teyama Nguse welcomed the Minister to the camp and told him that the supply of electricity to the camp was recently disrupted due to transformer problem. He commended the efforts of the workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria towards restoring electricity to the camp.

The Minister, who was received at the camp by the Gombe State Commissioner of Youth Development and Poverty Alleviation, Minjiyarwa Sani Labaran as well as the State Co-ordinator of NYSC, Teyama Nguse and the Chairman of Board of Gombe State NYSC, Y.M. Babba and other camp officials. The visit was preceded by a recent call to the corps members deployed to Kaduna and FCT at their orientation camps where he charged them to be of good conduct during their service year.