Senate passes NYSC trust fund bill

A bill seeking to establish the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) trust fund has passed the third reading at the senate.

The bill was sponsored by Yemi Adaramodu, senator representing Ekiti south.

The bill seeks to provide a sustainable source of funds for the NYSC and support skill acquisition programmes for corps members, equipping them with practical skills that can enhance their employability and entrepreneurial abilities.

The bill also seeks to empower corps members to pursue various initiatives, including business ventures and community development projects.

The lawmaker added that the trust fund bill will ensure the development of corps members and enhance the welfare of personnel of the scheme.

“The early years of the National Youth Service Corps which was established May 1973, that’s 51 years ago, this is going to be the first attempt at making sure that the act that established the National Youth Service Corps is dealt with to ensure and afford Nigerians to benefit from why the NYSC was established,” he said.

“The management of the scheme has not only trained and empowered corps members but has instilled patriotism and the spirit of nationalism in corps members since then.

“The decision to establish the National Youth Service Trust Fund was conceived by some of the stakeholders which include the 36 state governments and the FCT administration.

“The idea to establish the trust fund was also strongly supported by civil society organisations.”

Speaking with journalists after the plenary, Adaramodu said the bill, if signed into law, would not be subjected to abuse like the other existing social intervention programmes.

“The structure of the fund does not give room for that kind of sleaze so to say. It can never give room for it because there are strata and apart from having those strata, there are going to be checks and balances,” he said.

“Not only that, this is a scheme for young adults and in fact, part of the young adults will be represented on the board of trustees that will be formed when it comes into practice.

“Procurement is not going to be solely done by even the DG. So, it is going to be something that several others will be part of. And then all the states of the federation will be part of and all the strata of our governance will be part of – governors, local governments, CSOs will be part of.

“When we put all these arrays of a collage of interest together like that then you can just trust that is not going to go the way of whatever you call it.”