YOUTH ACTION GROUP COMMUNIQUE ON YOUTH RELATED ISSUES AND THE FIGHT AGAINST EBOLA. 30th December, 2014 As Sierra Leoneans engage in the present fight against the Ebola virus which has claimed thousands of lives, it is rather unfortunate that quite recently, it has come to the notice of youth representatives from different youth groups and youth serving agencies constituting the Youth Action Group within the country about latest dispute between the Youth Affairs Minister and the National Youth Commissioner. Having closely followed the running of these two institutions in recent times, we have noticed strained power relations with reference to 23rd December 2014 incident at the Ministry of Youth Affairs among many others which in diverse ways have the propensity to undermine the very provisions in the Youth Commission’s Act which provides clear mandate and responsibilities to both parties (Youth Commissioner and the Youth Affairs Minister). Enacted by His Excellency and the Parliament of Sierra Leone, the National Youth Commission’s Act of 2009 provided the basis to empower the youth, develop their potentials, creativity and skills for National Development while the Ministry is responsible to: (a) Oversee the proper implementation of this Act (b) Formulate and review youth policy and its implementation; and (c) Ensure that regulatory and operational structures under this Act have the capacity to perform their respective functions. In lieu of the above, we therefore express total dissatisfaction over these unfortunate confrontations and further express dismay on the running and operations of both the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the National Youth Commission towards the enhancement of youth development in Sierra Leone. RECOMMENDATIONS As a result, the following recommendations/ suggestions has been put together to address the present situation and to chat a way forward to a better roadmap to improve youth development and activities in Sierra Leone: 1. To set up an independent investigating committee to look into the present and ongoing dispute between the youth Minister and the Youth Commissioner and that both the Youth Minister and the Youth Commissioner must be suspended to allow proper investigation. 2. Policies governing the youth sector must be allowed to operate without undue interference that may have the tendency to hamper youth development. 3. That all youth activities within the country must be carried out and be led by young people through the appropriate structures as provided for in the National Youth Commission’s Act, National Youth Policy, the Blue Print and other youth related policy documents. 4. Cognizant of the Government’s pledge, the president must re-enforce his commitments and support on youth issues together with youth inclusion and active participation at all levels. 5. That the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Youth and Office of the chief of staff mediate between the Youth Ministry and the Youth Commission. Inclusion, we call on all young people to be law abiding, as ever before and also strongly continue to support government and its development partners in the fight against Ebola; we are mindful of the havoc Ebola have wrecked in our beloved nations, how it has devastated many homes and destroyed many lives but with concerted efforts from all and sundry, we shall triumph. We look forward to the full corporation of all authorities concerned (especially our house of representative, Office of the Chief of Staff and His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Long live activism and God bless Sierra Leone TOGETHER WE CAN DEFEAT EBOLA GOD BLESS THE YOUTH OF SIERRA LEONE Signed (see attached) END
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 01:39:44 +0000
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