Landing B. Sanneh made this remark on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Banjul while delivering the NYSS 2014 annual activity report before the Public Accounts and Public Enterprise committees.
Mr Sanneh told the assembly that for almost two years to 2014, NYSS was without a substantive governance body and management.
He said this had affected the performance of the institution in delivering its mandate.
“In the first quarter, a substantive executive director was recruited which was followed by the appointment of the board of directors by the President towards the second quarter of 2014,” he explained.
“Notwithstanding, efforts were made to revitalise the institution which had almost collapsed.”
Mr Sanneh said with the new management, an organisational self-assessment was conducted and issues and recommendations from the assessment formed the Organisational Development Plan for 2014.
The development plan is to refocus the institution into implementing its core activities of youth empowerment and development, he noted.
The acting executive director further said that in order to ensure steady growth, transparency and accountability, it is necessary to put in place adequate systems that can raise the organisation’s profile.
Cognizant of this, Sanneh said the NYSS works in all the regions of The Gambia.In each region, there is a regional committee responsible for recruitment and management of members in the respective regions.
The regional committees are chaired by the regional governor and co-chaired by the chief executive officer of the area.
The NYSS was established in 1999 following the enactment of the NYSS Act, the same year.
