The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has commended the House of Representatives over the bill on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Trust Fund which recently scaled first reading.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of CESJET, Mr Ikpa Isaac, said the lawmakers, led by Hon. Akinfolarin Mayowa, displayed courage and proved that the Trust Fund will potentially tackle unemployment and enhance youth entrepreneurship.
Among other things, the Trust Fund is expected to provide sustainable source of funds for NYSC, skill acquisition training and provision of startup capital to Corps Members, train and retrain the personnel of the NYSC.
It will also develop camps and NYSC formations, provide facilities therein, improve the general welfare of Corps Members and personnel of the Scheme and enhance their preparedness to effectively discharge their statutory duties of promoting National unity, integration, self-reliance and accelerated development of the national economy.
Ikpa also stated that the innovation will deal with graduate unemployment and strengthen the operations of the scheme.
He said, “It is the position of the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency that this is indeed a pleasant development that the NYSC-TF Bill has scaled First Reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
“The debate on the floor of the  House of Representatives indicates that members of Parliament have a full grasp of the enormous potentials inherent in the proposed NYSC Trust Fund, which is capable of addressing myriads of challenges facing the country with regards to youth development.
“That the Bill passed First Reading is a display of courage by members of parliament because they have displayed that those issues of national concern takes centre stage in their legislative agenda”.
According to Ikpa, the “NYSC Trust Fund is coming at no better time than now, where countries are making concerted efforts towards harnessing the potentials of their youthful population in the drive for sustainable growth and development”.
He also noted that the, “NYSC Trust Fund, if established, will also develop Camps and NYSC formations, provide facilities therein, improve the general welfare of Corps Members and personnel of the Scheme and enhance their preparedness to effectively discharge their statutory duties of promoting National unity, integration, self-reliance and accelerated development of the national economy.
“If we consider the number of youths graduating from our universities yearly and with no prospects of jobs, we would appreciate the offering of the NYSC Trust Fund in addressing the issues of job creation and maximizing the potentials of that critical constituency”.
The Centre for Social Justice, Equity, and Transparency, therefore, expressed confidence that the bill will scale through second reading effortlessly and ultimately fulfil other requirements for its passage into law.
The Centre, however, urged other relevant stakeholders to see the bill’s scaling of first reading as a positive step that requires all hands to be on deck to see to its passage into law.
