The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has urged the state government to focus more on youths and sporting activities to tackle youth restiveness, insecurity and other social vices in society.

Chairman, House Committee on Youth and Sports, Alhaji Mohammed Isimbabi, made the call during an oversight visit to the ministry of youth and sports development to assess the ministry’s 2023 budget performance on Tuesday in Lafia.

Mr Isimbabi, representing Toto/Gadabuke constituency, said that prioritising youth and sporting activities would also promote peaceful co-existence in the state.

The committee chairman urged the ministry to do what it could to return Nasarawa United to the Nigeria Premier Football League next season.

“Do all it will take to restore the lost glory of our solid miners,” he charged.

Mr Isimbabi explained that the exercise was to assess the ministry’s 2023 budget performance and recommend ways to boost service delivery.

“We are here to perform one of the functions of the Assembly. The House appropriated funds and the essence of this exercise is to assess your ministry’s 2023 budget performance. We want to assure you of our partnership and support to enable you to succeed in developing youth and sporting activities in the state,” he said.

He also advised the ministry to buckle up in their activities to take the state to greater heights. The committee however commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for prioritising youth and sports development and called for its sustenance.

Mr Isimbabi disclosed that the committee would soon visit sporting facilities across the state to get firsthand knowledge of their condition.

Earlier, the Commissioner for the ministry, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ango, disclosed that N48 million was earmarked to resuscitate the sporting academy in Akwanga to promote sports in the state.

The commissioner appreciated the committee for supporting its activities to succeed.

He also thanked Governor Sule for prioritising youth and sports development in the state.

He added that most of the players of Nasarawa United FC were on loan, revealing that efforts were on to purchase new players.

In a related development, the committee also visited Nasarawa State Youth Empowerment Scheme where the General Manager, Mr Abdullahi Main, appreciated the committee for supporting its activities to succeed.

The general manager said that beneficiaries of the scheme had been receiving N10,000 as monthly stipend.

He, however, appealed for mobility to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.

Responding, Mr Isimbabi assured that the House would support the scheme to succeed in continuing to take the youth off the streets in the state.

He underscored the need for full implementation of the law establishing the scheme to have its full structure of the board and management team on ground for effective service delivery.

The chairman assured that the committee would sit and look at the monthly package of the scheme beneficiaries and advise appropriately.

(NAN)