BEEN THE PROPOSED ROAD MAP FORWARDED TO THE SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE PRESIDENT ON STUDENTS AND YOUTH MATTER BY ABDULSALAM ABDULFATAH LIBERTY
Introduction
The contact point between the Federal Government and her youth/students, the most dynamic of the population that makes up a country is the office of SENIOR SPECIAL ADVISER ON YOUTH AND STUDENTS MATTER. From the government horizon, the window to the world of the students and the youth is the office of the S.S.A to The President on Students and Youth. A country begins to fail when her contact with his youth and students is gaped. The office of S.S.A to The President on Students and Youth definitely needs to focus on the students and youth as the present and the future development of Nigeria lies in infest and focus in this glorious of the population.
It is important that your office need to discourage strongly violence, hooliganism and cultism as this has become culture in student's leadership.
The fulcrum is this office and it needs to stress it harm to the government and to the students and youths in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Adding value to the life of students and youth is the priority to your office and in the following ways this realm can rebranded.
The Youth and students empowerment:
The Students and Youth in this country are thirsty of empowerment and the government has not done well in this regard. It is nothing to write home about the resent empowerment of President Jonathan that could only absorb few thousand out of millions of youths that are in dares need of urgent empowerment. If the office of S.S.A to The President on Students and Youth can package an honest and comprehensive skills acquisition for Nigerian students and youth such a package would receive applaud from every Nigerian.
It is a fact that the responsibility on the government, particularly the Federal Government is heavy and hardly could any government be able to stretch it harm to every youth and students that need empowerment. It is advisable to look in to the possibility of partnering with the reliable companies in Nigeria. They would be of great assistance in this regard.
The root through which this can be achieved is by organizing series of summits on youth empowerment in all the Federal Universities and possibly in many other tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
There is an initiative, yet untapped, in Universities and Polytechnics. Many courses and programme are offer in these institutions that have directly or indirectly empowered the students of such programmes. Good examples include Agricultural Science/Engineering, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Performing Art, English, Fine Art, Food Technology, Journalism and Mass Communication. The above programmes have indirectly equipped the students who offer such of empowerment and many clues have been made available for these students, they only lack entrepreneurial skill and orientation with which they turn the resources (information) in to real empowerment. Through conferences and symposium packaged and financed by your office this is not far from been achieved with the partnership of some reliable companies who are ready to invest in the youth and students in Nigeria. By working in this line, we would have students who will construct Fish pond, Snail rearing, Computer repairing, Satellite Installation, Free land journalism, Magazine Publishing, Music's, Drama, Comedy, Vedio Coverage, Building of Converter, Painting and Modelling and others too numerous to mention. Your office can advise the presidency regards this kind of opportunities and you embark on orientation for all Nigerian students to attentively hunt for courses and programmes that appear as medium of empowerment.
Leadership and National Unification programme
It is also incumbent on the Federal Government through your office to invest in Leadership, and National Unification programme/training. It is as important as achieving a great future for Nigeria. The Federal Government through your office should quickly secure and protect the future of this country by breeding the brand of leadership that is infested with the best philosophy and ideology of leadership, a kind that will recognize corruption as poison for the country. The philosophy behind such Leadership summits, conference, symposia shall include:
Discovering the classical leadership ideology and philosophy in Nigeria
Breeding the leadership that understand the grievous danger of corruption to Nigeria
The youth picture for Nigeria
The unification of Nigeria is as important as the existence of Nigeria; the Federal Government has not done enough to use our academic curriculum to enshrine national unification through the tertiary institutions. This is a goal that the government needs to pursue with all strength. Apart from the massive reorientation that should be embarked upon by the government through your office, a bill should be sponsored in this regard to make Leadership and National Unification Courses to be part of the curriculum in all the Nigeria tertiary institutions.
Scholarships for the poor and less privilege students
There is a move that have no any response than applaud and ovation and that is providing scholarships for the students that are in seriously in need of such across the country. The best of scholarship is not necessarily for the best students who are not facing financial difficulty. Meanwhile, the best scholarship is for students who find it difficult to finance his academic. It shall be a plus for your office and the presidency if an investigation is conducted and the students who are genuinely in need of scholarship in Nigeria tertiary institutions could get such favour from you. However, it is best for a leader to be objective as he spoils his plan and work when he embraces favourism and nepotism.
Free Tuition Tertiary Institutions Must be upheld
It is advisable that your office should not be part of any plan by Federal Government to introduce tuition fee in Nigeria tertiary institutions. It is in contravention of the educational custom, tradition, and it is a slap on the masses that wallow in abject poverty in this country about (70 per cent). If all of the present leaders are beneficiaries of free tuition in tertiary institutions, they thus lack the audacity to lure it on our generation.
The publicizing of the Good Work of your office
It is prescribed for your office to utilize maximally the media in the exposition of your good works and to create awareness for the Nigerian students and youth regard the opportunities available for them from the government through your office.
Conclusion
The youth and students empowerment is prescribe for the federal government and it is the responsibility of your office to advise the government in this regard as the window of the government to the students and youth in Nigeria. Also, the new national unification of Nigeria as a project should be handled by your office; it is a laudable project at this period when the foundation of our country is been threatens by discrimination and tribal/religious crises. As the Nigerian youth are the factor in these crises, a new orientation and good mechanisms to achieve the goal of unifying our country should be employed by federal government through your office. As the advocate of students and youth in Nigeria which your office is, we look forward to a scholarships scheme that would target the less privilege students in Nigeria. I wish you good luck in your endeavor.
ABDULSALAM ABDULFATAH LIBERTY
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
NATIONAL CONGRESS OF NIGERIA STUDENTS (NACONS)
UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN
[email protected]
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