NYSC Trust Fund: Centre hails National Assembly over second reading of bill

…urges Presidency to sign bill after legislative processes

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has applauded the National Assembly for ensuring that the Bill seeking to establish the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund passed second reading.

Sponsored by Samuel Akinfolarin, the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2021 passed the first reading at the House of Representatives on Thursday after initially scaling through the first on December 16, 2021.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Joyce Ogwu, on Sunday, the group expressed satisfaction with the attention the Bill is receiving.

According to her, this is proof that the legislators are concerned about the state of unemployment in the country and will do anything possible to support credible initiatives to put the interest of the youths forward at all times.

The proposed fund is expected to provide sustainable source of funds for NYSC, skill acquisition training and provision of start-up capital to corps members, train and retrain the personnel of the NYSC, develop camps and NYSC formations and provide facilities therein.

It would also 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.

The proposed law would, therefore, provide a legal framework for management and control of the special intervention fund established under Section 3 of the Act.

And Ogwu believes the institutional funding agency under the auspices of the NYSC will rapidly produce hundreds of thousands of skilled youthful manpower who will also be empowered economically to generate wealth and create employment opportunities.

She, therefore, called for a speedy and seamless legislative process on the Bill by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila to enable the executive to sign it into law.

Ogwu, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to assent the Bill as soon it leaves the National Assembly.