John Alechenu, Abuja

The Senate has assured Nigerians that the safety measures being put in place in terms of legislation, will ensure that the proposed National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund, does not suffer the kind of abuse other interventionist schemes such as: the N-Power have been subjected to.

Spokesperson for the Senate, Senator Adaramodu Adeyemi, said this in an interview in Abuja.

He spoke against the backdrop of the Second reading of The Bill for an Act to establish the NYSC Trust fund.

Adeyemi explained that the piece of legislation was being given a pride of place considering the seriousness with which the 10th Senate takes issues affecting Nigeria’s largely youth population.

According to him, the current Senate takes its responsibility of helping to plan for Nigeria’s future seriously.

Adeyemi who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Youths, said, “This one (NYSC Trust Fund) will not go the way of N-power because N-power is just a branch of so many other interventions.

“And then it  is not a wholesale intervention outfit. So, N-power is part of the conditional cash transfer within a ministry but the NYSC Trust fund is going to be a stand alone.

“It will have a model of structure and the structure,  there is going to be a pyramid and then is going to be a stand alone structure that is going to be supervised strictly from the presidency, the ministry and then oversight function of both chambers of the National Assembly:the House of Representatives and that of the Senate.

“ Then the structure of the fund does not give room for that kind of sleaze so to say. It can never  give room for it because there is strata and apart from having that strata, there is going to be checks and balances and not only that, this is a scheme for young adults of Nigerians and in fact, part of the young adults will be represented on the Board of Trustees that will be formed when it comes into practice.”

To strengthen the procurement process of the fund will be such that even the Director General will require the impute of several other members drawn from relevant stakeholders including Civil Society Organizations to ensure transparency in its operations.

He said, “Procurement is not going to be solely done by even the DG. So, is going to be something that several others will be part of. And then all the states of the federation will be part of,  all the strata of our governance will be part of it- governors, local governments, CSOs will be part of. “

He also assured corps members who distinguish themselves that the fund will be disposed to offering loans to deserving youths to enhance entrepreneurship even while they are in camp when it becomes fully operational.