By Bida Elly David
The national Minister of Youth and Sports has said youth have been used as tools for destruction and political agenda instead of being directors of the nation towards positive aspects of development and change and urged them to work for the welfare of the people.
The youth Minister made the statement during the commemoration of the International Youth Day in Juba yesterday, which was attended by participants from the government institutions, private sectors as well as national and international organizations.
Speaking during the ceremony, Albino Bol Dhieu the national Minister of Youth and Sports reflected on a major need for youth to focus on activities that would promote the welfare of the citizens instead of being divisive.
“When you are a youth, you are supposed to work for the welfare of your people and the Country. The question for us now in this special day as young people IS to think of what we can do to develop this Country. We have seen how beautiful and diverse the Republic of South Sudan is in terms of cultural diversity. This Country is having abundance of resources but we are lacking understanding among ourselves as young people,” he said.
Bol stated that two thirds of the youth in the academic arena and out of the arena are in the lead towards population with the potential to direct the Country positively but things move passively.
“The young people who are now in the secondary, primary schools, Universities and others who are not in the Universities constitute the vast majority in this Country. Meaning that they are supposed to be the ones to direct the nation towards the positive direction but we are seeing the opposite. Then the question is, what is wrong with us being used as tools for destruction and political agenda as young people,” he questioned.
Minister Albino Bol pointed out lack of engagement being one of the factors that has equated two thirds of youth not to focus on right activities.
“In my simple analysis, lack of engagement is the main reason. The youth do not have any alternative and that is why the politicians who have their agenda use that opportunity and mobilize them on tribal basis and this is why we end up having a lot of rebellious groups and the young people are the ones being used as tools for that agenda,” he underlined.
Bol lamented that the Ministry of Youth came up with an engagement program on micro financing programs that would benefit women being the targeted population and beneficiaries to the initiative.
He assured the young people regarding President Salva Kiir’s commitment to form youth enterprise and capacity building projects to enhance youth in various aspects.