The Deputy Ministers of Education Youth and Sports Dr Algassimu Jah and Lanasana Nyallay have disclosed that the government of Sierra Leone will soon establish a youth Commission.
Minster Jah in his statement said that the National Youth Commission is very important as the youths are in the majority with about 45% without work. With this commission he said the youths will be able to become independent. He also pointed out that with this youth commission “we are going away from negative peace to positive peace.”
Minister Jah disclosed that creating the National Youth Commission is one way forward for the youth to be involved in decision making.
He also recalled that during their three days retreat at Bumbuna with President Ernest Koroma their priority was creating the youth commission among other things, to inititate,co-ordinate,implement and monitor youth development programmes country-wide in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. This he said will ensure a more systematic and comprehensive approach to addressing the numerous challenges faced by our young people.
He also noted that they have gone all round the country in spreading the ideas of forming the National Youth Commission.
The Deputy Minister (two) Lansana Nyallay in his own contribution said he went to the Eastern Province to spread the idea and he held a very broad meeting in Kenema where he invited youth groups and non youth groups. He disclosed that he went further to explain to them about the plan to form a youth commission which they all agreed was a good idea.
The Director of Youths Anthony Koroma said that he has worked for a long time for government, but this is first commission that government wanted to form and decided to ask the beneficiaries how to go about the commission.
He said that they are now going to the second phase of the commission which will be a two days workshop to put the ideas into structure.