The Bill entitled the National Youths Commission Act, 2009 being an Act to establish the National Youth Commission and to empower the youths develop their potentials, creativity and skills for national development has been gazetted.
The Commission shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and capable of acquiring, holding and disposing of any property whether movable or immovable and of suing and being sued in its corporate name and performing all acts that bodies corporate may by law.
The governing body of the commission shall be the Board of Directors which shall consist of a Chairman and four other persons representing the Western Area and the provinces. Two persons representing youth groups plus the financial secretary and the Permanent Secretary of the Education Youth and Sports shall also be part of the board.
The Commission’s Chairman shall become the secretary to the Board.
The Board Chairman and the four representatives from the western area and the provinces and the two youth groups shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Minister of Education subject to the approval of Parliament for a period of three years.
The object for which the commission is to be established is to implement policies, programmes and projects that will empower the youth. The Commission shall also assist in the creation of employment opportunities for the youth and develop medium and long term strategies to tackle youth unemployment in Sierra Leone.
It is also expected of the commission to initiate youth development programmes in collaboration with relevant governmental bodies through coordination and monitoring.
The commission shall also serve as a focal point in addressing drug abuse by the youth and its related problems and to create a reliable and efficient network, by which the youth may access information, develop a comprehensive national youth development plan consistent with national poverty strategies.
The Commissioner and deputy shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports on the terms and conditions that the President may determine. They shall be persons with administrative qualifications and extensive knowledge, experience in matters relating to youth.
From this stage, the bill will be tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Education before it becomes law.
By Ishmael Bayoh
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