Minister of Youths and Sports Mr. Solomon Dalung has said the Federal Government will no longer waste tax payers’ money to fund the Nigerian Youth Council (NYC) because the body is under serious manipulation by politicians and other stakeholders.
The reason not to fund any youth group, according to the minister, is as a result of the leadership squabble rocking it, adding that over six persons are claiming the leadership of the NYC with several pending court cases.
He stated this in Abuja during the-end-of-the-year ceremony of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) whose theme was “The Role of Youth Organisation in the Promotion of Social Change: The Future of the Nigerian State.”
The minister promised that by next year, a committee will be set up to register youth organisations.
Dalung urged youths to shun violence and embrace peace, adding that under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari; it is no longer business as usual.
His words: “If the Nigerian youths are yearning for change and now the change has come, they should behave themselves.
“One of the problems of the Nigerian youths today is that they are divided among themselves. They are divided over the question of leadership and I keep repeating without fear or favour that they have allowed us ‘politicians’ to continue to manipulate them.
“They are under serious manipulation and they operate under the instructions of those that manipulate them. This informed why I found it difficult to take sides when I assumed duty as a minister.
As a minister, I have withdrawn that right that there is no youth organisation recognised by the Ministry of Youths and Sports. As a government, we will not do any business with them.
“We will not use the tax payers’ money and waste it on those that are fighting.
“In the New Year, we are going to set up a committee that will register youth organisations. But for now, we will not spend a ‘kobo’ on briefcase youth organisations and the law requires them to have offices in not less than 24 states in Nigeria. We cannot endorse fraud.
“We are willing to redefine ourselves to support the youth to ensure that we provide job for them so that they can be gainfully employed so as to be leaders of this great country.
“I congratulate the Peace Corps for wonderful work it’s doing for the youth of this country. Without peace, Nigeria cannot achieve anything.”
The National Commandant of the PCN, Mr. Dickson Akoh commended the National Assembly for taking serious the PCN bill which he said has scaled through second reading.
Akoh advised youths to key into President Buhari’s agenda and also shun violence.
He admonished politicians not to use youths to achieve their negative goals.
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