By Sampat Kpakimah
The Minister for Youth and Sports, Jeror Cole Bangalu, has stressed the need to have the Ministry of Youth and Sports relocated from its current facility to a better and conducive administrative and operational environment.
Currently, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is located within the basement of the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, located at Paynesville ELWA Community.
The Minster said the entity has spent over forty years at the sporting facility, impeding government functions and operations for youth development and sports promotion.
He added that the sports complex named after the country’s 22nd President, Samuel Kanyon Doe, was not intended for the purpose of hosting a full-fledged government institution like the MYS.
He lamented that since the installation of bucket seats at the SKD, there have been challenges like leakage of offices, and the unstable condition of the Liberia Electricity Corporation, and they cannot maintain the generators there because they consume a lot of fuel, which is costly.
Speaking at an appearance on a local radio talk show in Monrovia, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, Min. Bangalu expressed his cognizance that the government, under the administration of President Boakai, is new from transition and has some financial constraints.
According to him, despite the odds in the administration of the country, the Ministry’s relocation is cardinal for the implementation of its established core values and responsibilities.
He, at the same time, revealed the government’s plans for a free access of technical and vocational education training (TVET) policy for Liberian youths, adding that this is a new project to add to the recently launched Liberia Digital Transformation Project (LDTP) for youths; and it is to empower through indentureship and improve the livelihood of youths through skills training.
Bangalu also said, currently, there are 127 out of 178 at-risk youths to graduate, because they were the ones that passed the urine drug test, with a package containing materials within the specialties of what they have learned also with one year’s rental fees for the workshop, and in time, there will be a social worker monitoring them and their business.
