Liberian youths are “wayward”

-Sen. Zargo

Lofa County Senator Stephen Zargo has described the youths of Liberia as “wayward’ principally due to 14 years of civil war and high unemployment.

Senator Zargo said the children of Liberia are heading in the direction of wayward which should be worrisome to any well-meaning citizen that cares about the future of the country. Speaking at the confirmation hearing of Deputy Youth and Sports Minister-designate for Technical Vocational Education Training, Mr. Rufus Nuefville in the senate’s conference room at the Capitol Building, the senator noted the streets of Monrovia is filled with young people who are doing nothing, apparently due to lack of education or jobs.

He requested the nominee to design programs and policies that will help to get the youths off the streets. In response, Mr. Nuefville promised to work closely with vocational institutions across the country to make huge achievements in moving the country’s job market forward.

He said the commitment of the Government to provide technical and vocational education to its people is based on the unquestionable reality that TVET contributes not only to human capital development but also poverty reduction, promotion of social cohesion and maintenance of peace and stability.

Nuefville, a former lawmaker and ex-chief of protocol, told the senate’s committee on Youths and Sports Wednesday that the Deputy Minister for TVET and the hardworking officials and staff at the Ministry of Youth and Sports will work tirelessly to build and enhance the skills of the youth for economic diversification, employment expansion and promotion of competition in the labor market.

He said it makes no sense for 40 years old man and or woman to spend another five years to obtain college education instead improving his or her livelihood within a year thru skills training program. . “We have put more into the vocational centers because our young people are older for college education. please don’t get me wrong, but if you’re 40 years old and just graduated from secondary school; it will be good thing for technical or vocational trainings then spending another five years at the University of Liberia to earn a degree in accounting. I think it does not make sense to me,” he said.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Editing by Jonathan Browne