Newly appointed Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna, has charged directors and other members of staff of the ministry to double their efforts on the job, stressing that they must do all they can for youth restiveness to stop in the country.
Haruna stated this while briefing journalists during his maiden interaction with the directors in the ministry.
According to him, the ministry is key in the government, as it oversees young persons who occupy over 60 per cent of the country’s population, while he urged its staff to be grateful for the opportunity to work there.
“Some feel they are not favored in the youth ministry, but the ministry is most central, because 60 per cent of our population is between the youth bracket,” he said.
“If our job is to bring youth development and stop youth restiveness, there is no better ministry. I encourage you to work hard, even though there are challenges, because it will count in dealing with insurgency in the country, and if we can solve youth problems, we have solved most important issues in the country,” he added.
Earlier, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mr. Henry Akpan, pledged the staff’s support to the minister.
He expressed hope of greater heights for the ministry, saying the Haruna’s antecedents on youth empowerment in Adamawa state, as a governor, were glaring.
He added that his appointment to the ministry was not by chance but by God.
