NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, ABUJA e-mail: nycnsecretariat@gmail 07011541397 19th March, 2014 The Minister of Youth Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja. Sir, OPEN LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA. SAVE OUR SOUL: CHALLENGES AND STATE OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA. National Youth Council of Nigeria is the umbrella body and mouth piece of Nigeria Youths since 1964 with the vision to inspire and coordinate Nigeria Youths towards global standards in the realisation of our full potentials, dreams and aspirations. Youth is defined in Nigeria by the National Youth Policy as all males and female citizens of Nigeria aged 18 to 35 years. The National Youth Policy was enacted in 2007 to enhance the genuine and true operations of the activities of all organs dealing with Youth matters in Nigeria and ensure that legitimate Youths within the ages of 18 to 35years alone emerge as Leaders of Nigeria Youths at all fronts, especially at the National Youth Council Of Nigeria, for the optimal performance of the Council and attainment of greater feats by Nigeria Youths at large. The National Youth Council of Nigeria is supervised by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development with proper and due monitoring of the Network and Social Mobilisation Department of the Ministry. CHALLENGES: It is very unfortunate to note that the implementation of the National Youth Policy is seriously confronted with serious violations by some sinister forces in the National Youth Council of Nigeria who have continued to lay claim to the leadership of the Council against the enabling regulations guiding the activities of the Council leading to the continual debacle on the true leadership of the Council. To emerge as a leader in NYCN, an aspirant for any Office in the Council must be a legitimate member of a Nationally recognised Voluntary Youth Organisation affiliated to the Council and must be of stipulated ages of 18 to 35years. Before the effect of the National Youth Policy in 2007, the Council is populated by people above 35years of age holding one position or the other and were expected to honourably exit from the leadership of the Council based on the National Youth Policy and allow the legitimate Youths to lead the affairs of the Council but most of them dishonestly engaged in falsification of age and infiltrated the Council with people not belonging to reputable Voluntary Youth Organisations in order to continually lay siege, leading to the recurrent leadership crises in the Council since 2007. It is very instructive to state that the status of NYCN as the apex Youth body in Nigeria since1964 with full recognition of the Federal Government of Nigeria lacked an Act of Parliament which greatly undermined the developments of Youths in Nigeria. It is on this grievous error that some leaders of NYCN jettisoned the quest and agitations of the Council for Act of Parliament and fraudulently registered the Council with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2003. These usurpers damaged the image and good cause of the Council with their aberration, inept and retrogressive actions at the detriment of the Nigeria Youths. STATE OF THE COUNCIL: There is no gain saying that NYCN is embroiled in leadership fiasco since 2007 as a result of violation of the National Youth Policy. Many people above 35years and ungenuine representatives have been laying claim to the leadership of the Council since 2007 which accounts for the division in the Council. In the build up to the ongoing National Conference of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Federal Government of Nigeria gave Six slots to NYCN to represents the Council at the National Conference, it is sacrosanct to inform you that the Council met at the Zonal level to elect the Six representatives and sent their names to the Presidency but it is regrettable to inform you that the true representatives of the Council were shortchanged and the people currently representing Nigeria Youths at the ongoing National Conference does not have the true mandate of NYCN and most of them are above 35years of age which negates the National Youth Policy. A lot intrigues have come to play in the power tussle among the gladiators in the Council with unmerited Cases in Court to hoodwink and intimidate genuine leaders of the Council from championing the cause of Nigeria Youths. THE TASK AHEAD: Nigeria Youths are faced with the ugly situation of gross unemployment, high poverty rate and insecurity among other challenges. The responsibility of the National Youth Council of Nigeria is to advocate for sound welfare of Nigeria Youths, provide an efficient leadership by providing a common platform for all structures of the Council for the advancement of the noble cause of Youths through an enhanced social enlightenment, mobilisation and coordination as a tool for complementing the effort of Government and other relevant stakeholders in Youth Development. The task ahead is to appropriately reposition the Leadership of the Council in its entirety to fulfill the responsibility of NYCN, provide an efficient leadership for the entire Youths of Nigeria for the advancement of the cause of Nigeria Youths. WAY FORWARD ON NYCN: The major hindrance to the development of Youths in Nigeria is the absence of an Act of Parliament by the National Assembly to authenticate the status of the National Youth Council of Nigeria as the apex Youth body by the Federal Government of Nigeria. It is imperative to inform that there is a Bill on Act of Parliament for NYCN at the Federal House of Representatives since last year. It is very important to ensure the successful passage of this bill into law for optimum productivity of the Council. The fraudulent registration of NYCN with the Corporate Affairs Commission has to be reviewed in order to reposition the Council. OUR DEMAND: We demand the full implementation of the National Youth Policy especially as it relates to the representatives of Youths in line with the stipulated age of 18 to 35years. We urge you to brace up and address issues relating to the Welfare and general well being of Nigeria Youths as provided by the National Youth Policy. We demand that the fake representatives of NYCN at the ongoing National Conference be withdrawn and replace by the true representatives of NYCN already elected from their respective Zones with the mandate of Nigeria Youths. CONCLUSION: Like pain and gain, warfare and welfare are two great pals if only they can settle their differences. We urge you to use your wealth of experience to discharge your duties effectively and intervene immediately on all issues raised in this letter. It is your responsibility to add value to the Youths of Nigeria by aiding the quick resolutions of NYCN LEADERSHIP CRISES and facilitate true and genuine representations of NIGERIA YOUTHS. Yours Faithfully, For NYCN: SIGNED Comrade AbdulRahman Agboola President, National Youth Council of Nigeria 08032813279
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:08:16 +0000
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