The House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development, on Thursday, held a public hearing on the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill and the Youth Entrepreneurship Development Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, where stakeholders called for better welfare for young Nigerians.
Members of the House, Messrs Samuel Akinfolarin and Farah Dagogo, sponsored the bills, respectively.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, in his presentation, said the Trust Fund, when established, would engage and empower corps members at the end of the service by making them self-reliant.
Ibrahim noted that NYSC members are willing to put in their best once supported, urging Nigerians to support the bill.
A former Governor of Edo State, Oserheimen Osunbor, also said, “This bill is commendable and I support its passage by the National Assembly. Nevertheless, I urge this committee to pay particular attention to the sourcing and utilisation of funds, part of which I have addressed.
“This is to avoid the abuses that have been associated in recent times with trust funds by officials who see them as slush funds to feed their avarice. This calls for caution in order that the good intention behind this bill is not defeated.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development, Yemi Adaramodu, said the bill is going to engage youths to bring development. He also called for training and retraining of NYSC staff members as well as skill acquisitions for corps members.
