By Emeka Chiaghanam
In a bold critique, author and public policy analyst Mr. Polycarp Onwubiko has asserted that the Federal Government's involvement in overseeing the Nigeria Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) is unwarranted and calls for urgent restructuring.
Disclosing this to Heraldviews in Awka, Anambra State capital, Mr Onwubiko, said the unitary-federal structure imposed on the country and perpetuated by an uninformed military regime has resulted in agencies like NYCN being housed within the Presidency, a move he questions.
He argues that such centralization
leads to corruption and a misuse of financial resources, allowing supposed
youth representatives to indulge in extravagant lifestyles, including the
purchase of expensive vehicles funded through annual budgets.
In line with the existing state
of affairs in Nigeria, Onwubiko contends that these youth representatives
engage in unsavory activities such as gun running and violent thuggery when
vying for elective positions, resembling the broader electoral process in the
country.
"In sane and sanitized
federations worldwide, such agencies, when necessary, fall under the purview of
state governments, which delegate responsibilities to local
administrations," says Onwubiko. He emphasizes that only immediate
restructuring can rectify the perceived madness resulting from the current
lopsided federation.
Onwubiko praises Governor
Soludo's 2-Youth Skill Acquisition Programme, suggesting that other states
should adopt similar initiatives to address social challenges, including
hunger, malnourishment, malnutrition, and unemployment.
He questions the federal government's
role in alleviating youth challenges, asserting that it primarily involves
budget allocations and monthly releases managed by the National Youth Council
of Nigeria. Onwubiko argues that in sane federations, only two tiers of
government exist—the central government and regional or state
governments—contrasting with Nigeria's three-tier system established by the
military in 1976.
On the topic of devolution of
powers, Onwubiko dismisses it as deception, expressing concern that a lopsided
National Assembly would favor northern Muslim preferences within the existing
unitary-federal arrangements. He firmly believes that restructuring,
accompanied by a new constitution reflecting the diverse aspirations of ethnic
nationalities, is the only solution.
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