…Commends National assembly
Pass Vote of Confidence on NYSC Management ..
The College of Bishops and Imams in Nigeria have appealed for an urgent assent to the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund Bill that is still pending before President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.
The clerics who bore their minds in Abuja said an urgent assent to the bill will lead to better opportunities for Nigerian youths.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja, Reverend Solomon Semaka said the NYSC Trust Fund is one of the few bills passed by the national assembly that recieved the highest number of memoranda from the public in support of it’s passage.
“This mass appeal towards the bill points to the acceptablity of the trust fund. Again, there is no single federal government agency that has shaped the future of our youth like the NYSC with scarce resources. The Trust fund comes in handy to consolidate on founding mandate of the scheme driven by the forsight of succesive director generals. For all popurposes and good intentions this is a bill that confers on all nigerians an opportunity to learn a skill once they pass through the scheme. No wonder the bill has enjoyed wide acceptance untill lately when the enemies of the nation struck with all manner of negative tales.
“It has come to public knowledge that those who choose not to acknowledge the modest legacies this administration is leaving in the various sectors of Nigerian society, especially in the area of youth development have deemed it fit to attack and bring to disrepute, the impeccable image of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Needless to say that you all are ex-corps members or intending corps members and you have seen how organized and efficient the scheme has evolved in the last few years. Anybody trying to tarnish the image of the scheme is out for mischief and must not be taken seriously.
“The spurious allegations purportedly linking Brigadier General Mohammed Fadah, the current Director General of NYSC with Senate President and calling him a stooge is very unfortunate. This bare faced assault against the new director general can only be characterised as normal and expected given the commitment of the new DG to sustain the numerous policies in place at NYSC. To further Insinuate that the NYSC Trust Funds if assented to by Mr President, will end up in people’s pockets is the most ridiculous and least comment any true patriot can utter. To make such unfounded claims and allegations about an institution that has operated for more than four decades without any verified financial scandal and usually known with timely mobilisation and payment of corps members allowances and general welfare is very unfortunate. In recent times, the scheme has been remitting billions of naira to the federal government coffers due to the ingenuity and commitment of successive managements. Trying to create a situation of mistrust in a bid to derail presidential assent to the NYSC Trust Fund bill will not work because the facts are there for all to see. Sincere nigerians ego have the country at heart mobilised and supported the Trust Fund bill when it was in the national assembly . The masses indeed eventually won by the passage of the bill now awaiting assent by Mr President. Any dissenting view at this point is a needless distraction worthy of attention.
“The NYSC scheme has done marvellously well in adopting the noble idea of a Trust Fund to enable the scheme respond adequately to the challenges of youth unemployment through skill acquisitions and empowerment. This initiative is well received and encouraged by governments at all levels, Civil Society Organisations and all stakeholders considering the importance of the Trust Fund to national development. Any attempt to sabotage this noble legacy will fail because it is a national legacy that will benefit the future generation of Nigerians to come.
“Gentlemen of the press, it is important at this juncture to commend the National Assembly, Civil Society Organizations, Student bodies, all stakeholders and Nigerians for painstakingly carrying out due diligence on the NYSC Trust fund bill to ensure that there are no hitches to its speedy passage and assent by Mr President.Trying to spread falsehood on a public interest bill such as the NYSC Trust Fund considering the monumental impact it will have on the youths and the country at large is uncharitable and a disservice to one’s fatherland.
“The NYSC management in due consultation with all relevant stakeholders has worked hard to make this bill a reality. The legal framework for the fund is well tailored to achieve desired objectives of the scheme. The all round support of stakeholders and partners is to ensure that funding will be guaranteed. The default framework for NYSC Trust Fund insulates it against corruption. As the conscience of the nation jointly with our religious leaders , we commend the NYSC management for their foresight and conviction to push through this very important bill. We also commend Mr. President for being youth-friendly and sensitive to the plight of Nigerians. We must therefore not relent in urging him to quickly give his assent to this very important bill so that youth unemployment will become a thing of the past in no distant time” they said.
