NYAN tasks government on National Youth policy implementation

Condemns Ultimatum Against Ndi Igbo By Northern Youth Coalition

The National Youth Assembly of Nigeria (NYAN) has urged the Federal Government to do everything possible to ensure the implementation of the proposed National Youth policy. The group made the call recently in Calabar, Cross River State capital during the South-South Summit of the youth organization held at the House of Assembly Conference Hall.

Attended by all the youth ambassadors from the six states on the geopolitical zone (Edo, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom), the National Speaker of NYAN Amb. Akhigbe Olumhense, who declared the summit open, stated that, if implemented, the well articulated policy would curb youth restiveness and promote youth development across the country.

In his keynote welcome address, the Hon. Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr. John Gaul Lebor urged Nigeria youth to break down local barriers, and aspire for higher things. He said Nigeria is practicing a wrong democracy known as political democracy, adding that a better democracy is the economic democracy, while the best form of Democracy is liberal Democracy.

Addressing the summit, the Special Assistant to the Cross River State Governor on Student Affairs and Youth Mobilization, Prince Micheal Abuo, spoke on the need for young people to eschew bitterness and all forms of violence and form a common front and work towards achieving their goals. He informed that his ‘Back to book’ initiative was meant to stimulate the youth to applied knowledge productively in their daily engagements.

Part of the communiqué issued by NYAN at the end of the summit include a call on the governors of the oil rich region to pull resources together and establish a mega refinery, which will reduce the price of petroleum products as well as create employment for the youth. The summit also called on the government of the region to make agriculture very attractive, by providing adequate funding for mechanization and training of youths, to enable them see the opportunities available in modern agriculture.

The body also urged youth from the region to stop agonizing about the current situation in the country, but start organising themselves and ask questions about the well being of the state, adding that the era of “I don’t care” attitude of young people is over. The summit also condemned the eviction notice given to Ndi Igbo by northern coalition, describing it as a “a regrettable comment. We call on Mr. President and the Inspector General of police to quickly call those youth to order to avoid any unnecessary death arising from the ultimatum.”

In the end, the summit adopted the Youth Development Fund bill sponsored by one of its members in Akwa Ibom State, which seeks a reserve10% of the monthly allocations to states for youth development.