From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Deputy Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Nehemiah Dandaura has assured of his commitment to sponsor a Youth Development Commission Bill in the state House of Assembly.
Hon Dandaura gave this assurance on Wednesday when the representatives of Nasarawa Youths in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) , Global Peace Development (GPD) and Beacon Youth Initiative (BYI) paid him an advocacy visit in his office at the assembly complex, Lafia.
He stated that the challenges faced by youths in the state has given him the zeal to sponsor the bill which is aimed at empowering and encouraging them to make sustainable contributions to the development of the state.
According to him, the youth were the pillars of the nation and so should be given attention inorder to address their restiveness as well as prevent them from being used by selfish politicians who desire to use them for their selfish interest.
“There is a need to provide for the development of youths in the state through a commission which will empower and encourage them to make sustainable contributions to the development of the state.
“My passion is to see the vulnerable group in the society such as the widows and youths empowered. Thus I have abandoned every other bill I was working to concentrate on the Youth Development Bill because I have passion for the youth. I will ensure the speedy passage of the bill and we shall all see what good it will bring to us.
“I assure you that I will do my best because I know the benefits of this bill is enormous. It will provide employment opportunities to youths and moderate their way of behaviours and it will go along way in giving us hope,” he said.
The deputy speaker expressed optimism that members of the state assembly will support the bill when presented to the house.
In his remark, the Resilience Programme Coordinator of the System and Structure Strengthening Approach against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism ( SARVE ) ActionAid Nigeria with funding from the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) Mr Anicetus Atakpu said One of the ways of addressing youths restiveness was through their positive engagement , Saying when passed, the bill will reduce violence and other social vices perpetrated by youths.
“A very important aspect of any bill is its implementation and I am optimistic that the state government under Governor Abdullahi Sule who has been doing a lot in addressing insecurity in the state will assent to this bill when passed into law. ” Mr Atakpu said.
He, appreciated the commitment of the deputy speaker in ensuring that the bill becomes a reality and called on other members to support him to enable the speedy passage of the bill.
Earlier, the Co- Coordinator of Youth Advocacy Cluster in the state, Comrade Musa Danka said the purpose of the visit was to advocate for the speedy passage of the Youth Development Bill and its ultimate assent into law.
“The main aim of our visit today is to remind the deputy speaker of our desire for the speedy passage of the youth bill. The youths of the state have pledged their support towards the bill and we are looking at your position in the House of Assembly as an added advantage to us.
‘We are very optimistic that this bill will not be different from the ones you have presented to the floor of the house in the past and we believe that the bill will definitely see the light of the day.
“The bill is important to us because the average percentage of crimes committed in the country today is mostly perpetrated by the youth. So, we have come together to find a way of resolving these problems. We are advocating for the need for youth participation in government , protection, partnership among others. It will reduce the rate of social vices in the country,” Danka said.
He, therefore called on the goverment of Governor Sule and the state Assembly to ensure that the bill is passed into law and implemented for the growth and development of the state.
