FG Budgets N250bn As Social Intervention-Dalung
FG Budgets N250bn As Social Intervention-Dalung
By Chris Suleiman, Abuja
Minister of Youth and. Sports, Solomon Dalung on Monday said the Federal Government has earmarked the sum of N250billin as social Intervention funds in the 2016 budget yet to be passed at the National Assembly.
The Minister who said this at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) added that poverty is high in the country and the government is aware of that.
He said: “Poverty level is also high, this we also appreciate. But in our this year’s budget, we had what we proposed the social intervention funds, which is about N250billion is one of the highest budgetary allocation so far proposed in the history of this country.
According to him “The intention is to engage young people and provide to address poverty and unemployment frontally and we are going to approach it by diverse ways; agriculture, Solid Minerals, vocational training, youth empowerment programme so that we can create engagement.
Dalung however, blame the past administration for not making provision for he raining day during the days of plenty when crude is selling at a higher price
“Let me take the issue of the economic realities, Nigerians must appreciate one fact, sometimes in 2012, there was the sovereign wealth fund established by the Federal Government and that fund was very prophetic in terms of establishing it, because it was meant to address such times like this that we are now in.
“Ironically, this administration came in and the fall-back mechanism is not there. So the global recession now is biting hard on the citizens because our fall-back mechanism would have cushioned the effect and would have not been as hard as it is, it is not fair. So we are now flying an aircraft without a life jacket and of course, it has serious effects on our young people this we realise as a government.
The youth and sports minister also revealed that “I have also received invitation from eleven European countries to a partnership that would lead to the training of so many Nigerians, young Nigerians outside with different vocation. I will be visiting the facilities not too long to sign the Memorandum of Understanding that is also an effort in that regard.
“We have also received a proposal, which we have considered from Peugeot Automobile Nigeria for the provision of cars and vehicles for young Nigerians who would want to venture into transportation, we would guarantee them, there is about five banks that are willing to fund that, that would also go a long way to address the issue of unemployment and poverty.
” So I believe that, once we are through with the budget we will also begin to make progress. But the question is what are we doing, we have positively engaged the youth, we have set up a portal of direct access to young people, on one on one basis to engage them so that we can measure their thought and know what contribution do they think they can make as to thing that affect them and the better ways we can also address youth challenges so I think for us in the ministry, we have done much, but you know because there are little crisis in the youth ministry, what is happening there is not too pronounced.
