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NAYCONF Delegates Displeased

Dec 22, 2008, 4:52 AM | Article By: Nfamara Jawneh in Farafenni

Delegates attending the 4th edition of National Youth Conference and Festival (Nayconf) in Farafenni, North Bank Region have expressed their dissatisfaction with the level of progress made on the resolutions of the 2006 NAYCONF held in Brikama, Western Region.

The delegates made their disappointment known on Friday 19th December during the second day of the conference following presentation by Mr Alhagie Kebbeh, Chairperson of the National Youth Council (NYC) on the state of progress made on the resolutions that emerged from the last Nayconf held in Brikama.

During the questions and answers sessions, concerned delegates highlighted that there has not been impressive progress on the implementation of the resolutions based on what was presented on the Brikama resolution. The delegates went further to state that they prefer someone from the government to give them more details on how far they have gone in implementing the resolution. They all insisted that they want to know some of the achievements made from the recommendations.

The NYC Chairman in response to the queries and concerns raised said that the resolutions of the 2006 NAYCONF were passed to the office of the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports just few days after the event.

Kebbeh informed the delegates that if his report does not satisfy them, it is up to the conference to call on government to dilate more on the progress made on the resolutions.

Mustapha Kebbeh, a member of the conference sub- committee in his intervention stated that the NYC should not be blamed because it has been overtaken by events different from those surrounding the previous NAYCONF.

He also pointed out that there have been some achievements made on the resolution.

Kebbeh a one time NYC Chairman specifically indicated that the FarafenniYouthCenter, which is hosting the conference has achieved in pursuance of the 2006 recommendation under "Revitalized youth counseling on HIV/AIDS. Reproductive Health, Early and unwanted pregnancy and so on".

The only problem with that, he said, was because the Gambia National Youth Council (NYC) lacks the mechanism with which they could have put all the achievements regarding the last Nayconf resolutions into a document.