Minister sets up resolution committee to profer solution to NYCN criss
Chinedu Ojobo
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has commenced a deliberate process that will culminate in the resolution of the leadership crisis in the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in line with the promise made by the Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare, upon his assumption of duty.
Mr. Dare, who had promised to convene a meeting of critical stakeholders in youth development when he resumed as the Minister of Youth and Sports Development also made a commitment to hold “crucial and confrontational deliberations” that will lead to the resolution of the NYCN crisis.
Following several hours of the stakeholders’ meeting on Friday, the Minister set up a committee to consider options presented for the resolution of the crisis with the panel having two weeks to come up with an amicable solution.
He said “The Ministry (of Youth and Sports Development will not be part of the committee. I expect the committee to be neutral, thorough and objective”.
“We need to chart a new critical path forward. The Ministry will go and look at its internal processes again. The ministry will play its role and that role is a neutral one,” he promised.
The Committee’s term of reference is for it to arrive at a preferable option out of the three thrown up at the meeting. The first option is for stakeholders to explore legal provisions for the resolution of the crisis.
A second option is for NYCN to hold a fresh convention that will effectively sweep away the four persons laying claims to the leadership of the Council. The third option is for the Ministry to abandon the NYCN and create a new platform for reaching out to the youth.
Stakeholders in the course of deliberations had commended the neutral approach adopted by the minister in the efforts to resolve the leadership tussle that has grounded the NYCN for over eight years as they expressed confidence that a solution is within sight.
The meeting was attended by the contending leaders of the NYCN, past four presidents of the council and Chairman Board of Trustee, Mr. Dickson Akoh.
The Ministry had in the past issued press statements to the media on the lingering leadership crisis, complemented with public notices in major daily newspapers with a directive to the youth council members to desist from parading themselves as president of the NYCN.
The Committee has two weeks to conclude its work.
