Connect with us

News

NYSC Set To Be Scrapped As FG Increases N-Power Beneficiaries By 100%

Following the spate of insecurity across the country and the incessant killings of corp members who are posted to different parts of the country for the national service, the bill seeking discontinuation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme has been passed for a second reading by the House of Representatives.

The NYSC Act, which was promulgated by the Yakubu Gowon military administration in May 1973, under Decree No. 24 of 1973 sought to unify and re-integrate Nigerians after a bloody civil war that cost the lives of millions of Nigerians.

While this was a noble cause, the sponsor of the bill in the lower legislative chamber, Mr Awaji-Inombek Abiante, also pointed out the various reasons why the NYSC scheme as it is, should be a thing of the past. The proposal he put forward read in part:

“This bill seeks to repeal Section 315(5)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended) on the following grounds:

“Incessant killing of innocent corps members in some parts of the country due to banditry, religious extremism and ethnic violence; incessant kidnapping of innocent corps members across the country;

“Public and private agencies/departments are no longer recruiting able and qualified Nigerian youths, thus relying heavily on the availability of corps members who are not being well remunerated and get discarded with impunity at the end of their service year without any hope of being gainfully employed;

“Due to insecurity across the country, the National Youth Service Corps management now gives considerations to posting corps members to their geopolitical zone, thus defeating one of the objectives of setting up the service corps, i.e. developing common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration.”

Meanwhile, the federal government in a bid to empower more Nigerian youths and lift more Nigerians out of poverty has increased the number of beneficiaries of the N-Power Youth Empowerment Scheme from 500,000 to 1 million.

This was revealed by the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari, while empowering the graduands of the 2020 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), who were trained by the ITF in cosmetology, tailoring, and information technology (IT).

In his speech, Mr. Ari, charged the beneficiaries to make use of the training to create wealth for themselves and job opportunities for others – which he indicated is the aim of the government in providing them with the necessary skill and training.

Furthermore, he revealed that the FG has increased the N-Power slot for Nigerian youths from 500,000 to 1,000,000 in an effort geared towards lifting as many Nigerians as possible above the poverty line in the next 10 years.

His statement to that effect read in part:

“The Government also increased the number of beneficiaries under the N-power programme from 500,000 to 1,000,000 amongst other efforts designed to actualize its target of taking 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

“Without the Government’s committed efforts, the unemployment and poverty situation in Nigeria could conceivably have been worse. But going by the report of the survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of Q4 of 2020, to the effect that unemployment was still hovering at over 33 percent while youth unemployment was as high as 44 percent, it is obvious that more needs to be done. What is again very clear is that the efforts of the Federal alone cannot completely solve the problems of poverty and unemployment and the attendant fallouts.

“The problems that stare us in the face today require Nigerians to pull together and synergize as institutions of Government, Corporate bodies, and Non-Governmental Organisations to fully resolve them,” he added.

The N-Power Youth Empowerment Scheme is a flagship Social Investment Programme of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration that was established in June 2016. The scheme is aimed at addressing issues relating to unemployment among Nigerian youths.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Celebs

One Half Of The Estranged Duo P-Square Declares Nov 30 as his new birthday

Mr P has officially moved his birthday celebration from November 18 to November 30, adding a new layer to the ongoing P-Square family feud. What began as a social media declaration has now been formalised. A few hours after announcing his intention to change his birthday date, Peter Okoye, known professionally as Mr P, has issued an open letter confirming that November 18, the date he has shared with his twin brother Paul Okoye since birth in 1981, is no longer his day of celebration.

“Dear Family, Friends, and Fans,” the post read. “I’m making it official. November 18th is no longer my birthday celebration date. Please note that I will not be accepting any messages or gifts on that day. My birthday will now be celebrated on November 30th. This is a personal decision, and I truly appreciate your understanding.”

The message is brief, but its implications are quite clear. November 18 has long been one of the last remaining public symbols of a shared identity between two brothers whose professional and personal relationship has deteriorated sharply over the past several years.

By formally reassigning the date, Peter is drawing a line that goes beyond creative differences or business disputes.

The reaction from Nigerians online has been largely sceptical.

Many have questioned the necessity of the gesture, with a significant number describing it as petty and unnecessary given the more substantive issues that have defined the brothers’ current estrangement.

The consensus among critics is that changing a birthday date does little to resolve any of the actual grievances and serves mainly as a public statement of severance.

The feud between Peter and Paul Okoye has now spanned multiple years, two official splits, a brief reunion, and a growing list of public accusations on both sides. November 30 is still months away. To see if the gesture will land as true liberation or just pettiness may depend entirely on where things stand by then.

Continue Reading

News

I Took Over From Myself’: Tinubu’s Claims that He and Buhari Are ‘One’

President Bola Tinubu addressed supporters on Wednesday night in a video that was equal parts pep talk and provocation, but it was one particular line that cut through everything else and set social media alight.

Speaking to the leadership and coordinators of his Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Tinubu pushed back against the criticism that his administration inherited and worsened an already broken economy.

His defence took an unexpected turn. “This economy, I didn’t have to look back because the truth is, I took over from myself,” he said. “The late Buhari is me, he was a partner, if I took over from him, is that not from myself? So, it’s wrong? Fine. Live with it, correct it, move on.

Nigerians online did not move on, at least not immediately. The comment, which appeared to collapse the distinction between his administration and Muhammadu Buhari’s, drew a flood of reactions ranging from genuine bewilderment to sharp mockery.

For critics who have spent two years arguing that Tinubu’s government is a continuation of the same policies that drove Nigeria into economic hardship, the president had essentially handed them their argument in his own words.

The broader address, shared to his official page at 10:38 pm alongside a roughly ten-minute video, was deliberately combative.

Tinubu took aim at the opposition, dismissing the recently held ADC convention as “a street convention” and its energy as mere “rascality.”

He warned that his government would not yield to noise or disobedience of court orders, while also promising supporters that standing with him would not be a decision they would regret.

At one point, he told the ambassadors, “That is why we have told you to renew their hope”, drawing laughter from the audience. He added that for those unwilling to embrace the hope on offer, they would simply provide “eyeglasses.” It was the kind of line that plays well in a room full of loyalists and poorly everywhere else.

The overall message he tried to convey was that he would not be retreating, would not be apologising, and was not particularly interested in critics.

Continue Reading

News

S.A Opposition leader Julius Malema sentenced to five years in prison over gun incident

A South African court has sentenced opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in prison after finding him guilty of illegally firing a rifle during a political rally, a ruling that could shake the country’s opposition politics.

Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was convicted on several firearm-related charges linked to a 2018 party rally in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, where he was filmed firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air in front of thousands of supporters.

The court found him guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area, and reckless endangerment, offences that prosecutors argued posed a serious public safety risk.

During sentencing, the magistrate emphasised that public figures must respect the law and warned that celebratory gunfire could endanger lives. Prosecutors had pushed for a maximum 15-year sentence, arguing that leniency would set a dangerous precedent given Malema’s influence as a national political figure.

Malema’s legal team, however, argued that the act was symbolic and caused no harm, urging the court to impose a fine instead of prison time.

The outspoken politician has already vowed to appeal both the conviction and the sentence, insisting the case is politically motivated. If the sentence is upheld, the ruling could have major political consequences. Under South African law, a prison sentence exceeding 12 months without the option of a fine can disqualify a lawmaker from holding a parliamentary seat, potentially forcing Malema out of the National Assembly.

Malema, a former youth leader of the African National Congress before founding the EFF in 2013, has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s most controversial political figures. His party campaigns for radical economic reforms, including land redistribution without compensation and nationalisation of key industries.

Continue Reading

Trending