In line with his campaign promise, President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration will soon unveil a comprehensive National Youth Empowerment Program.
The President gave the assurance at the swearing-in of the 2015 Batch “A” (Stream II) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kubwa Satellite Town, Abuja on Thursday.
The President, who was represented at the occasion by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Obinna Chukwu , stated that the program would be anchored on the model provided by the NYSC Scheme.
His words: “Our goal is to comprehensively address youth empowerment, insecurity and other social vices prevalent amongst our youths”.
President Buhari, who described Corps members as change agents, said that their roles would be properly articulated and harnessed for the benefit of the country.
He charged the Corps members to brace for the challenges and be ready to make useful contributions to the course of national development by taking advantage of the highly beneficial youth empowerment schemes provided by the government and non-governmental organizations for self-sustenance.
“With collective will and the determination of your vibrant generation, I am confident that we shall in time redirect and steer the course of our country on the path of sustainable progress and development”, he added.
Buhari advised the Corp members to avoid engaging in crime and vices that impede collective efforts to move the nation forward.
“The true change that we desire must start with every one of us, especially you, the Nigerian youths. We must all embrace attitudinal change. We must exercise self and personal discipline and the courage to always do the right thing,” he stressed.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman, FCT NYSC Governing Board, Mallam Salisu Kallamu, promised that during the Orientation Exercise, the Corps members would be exposed to various entrepreneurship skills and lectures on socio-economic values as well as the political dynamics of Nigeria.
Mallam Kallamu said that the country expects the Corps members to be beacons of hope for the future of a new Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the FCT Co-coordinator of NYSC, Mr. Olanepekun Alao, expressed appreciation for the hospitality of the FCT Administration to the management of the FCT NYSC as well as the corps members, particularly in times of need.
Mr. Alao announced that at the end of the registration exercise yesterday, 2,513 corps members were registered.
Hon. Justice Abba Mohammed of the FCT High Court of Justice who represented the FCT Chief Judge, administered the Oath of Allegiance on the Corps members.