BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Residents of Neno district have taken a swipe at Malawi government for its continued sidelining of the district in many government activities following the Neno Integrated Youth Centre ‘s idleness since its inception four years ago.

The youth centre which is developed on the former Malawi Young Pioneer premises was launched by the former president Joyce Banda, and since then there is nothing happening concerning the youth of Neno, Maravi Post has discovered.

Speaking to Maravi Post, Chikonde Ward councilor McPherson Dzimadzi wondered why the ministry of youth is turning a blind eye to the centre at a time the government is implementing community technical colleges.

“As people of Neno, our concern is that the project which could benefit many youth who are just lingering around is just lying idle. We are very surprised that the centre has all the facilities including hostels befitting a modern community technical college but the responsible ministry seems not to care.

“Government sent the youths for a nine 9-month training program at the Songhai Center in Benin, who were earmarked for assisting in setting up the various training production units and act as trainers at the Centre upon their return. However, three years down the line since their return, they are just languishing at home. The well-constructed hostels at the centre are just dilapidating for nothing,” said Dzimadzi.

He added: “Key positions at the centre are vacant due to a wave of resignations that happened some months ago but the government is not filling the gap. The centre manager, livestock officer and crop production officer resigned.”

Responding to questionnaire sent by Maravi Post, Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Project Coordinator, Edward Zomba said that the magnificent structures are staying idle because the contractor has not handed over them for use.

“You may wish to know that since inception only the old rehabilitated office structure, the poultry house and the pig khola are the only structures that have been in use. The newly built two hostels, kitchen-hall and two semi-detached staff houses have not yet been handed over to us by the contractors and therefore we cannot use them.

“Being a government construction project the department of building is the one still in charge until the project is handed over,” said Zombe.

He added: “As a ministry our records indicate that we do not owe the contractors. We have informed the ministry responsible for inspection, supervision (building department) of the same and we are therefore waiting to hear from them regarding the necessary handover arrangements. Once the hostels are handed over, formal training of youths will start at the centre. The two hostels are expected to accommodate eighty students from across the country.”

He also indicated that while the normal traings have not yet started, more than thirty five  youth from from communities sorounding the centre have benefited from the interim trainings and capital inputs.

Maravi Post investigative team also discovered that there is a lot of corrupt activities and mediocrity happening at the centre.

One of the employees told this reporter that the institution is now controlled by a mere copy typist following the resignation of the centre manager.

“What is happening is very pathetic. Just imagine, a mere copy typist is holding a position of centre manager which is supposed to be held by a senior officer with vast experience and knowledge. She [copy typist], intellectually challenged as she is, has just turned the institution as personal property and tax payers money is just being misused.

“The five toner vehicle is just being used for personal purposes like transporting bricks, charcoal and firewood. To show how irresponsible the manager is, she even uses the five toner vehicle to go in town just to get quotations,” said the employee who opted to speak on condition of anonymity.

In 2015, President Peter Mutharika mentioned Neno Youth Centre as one of his achievements within his two years in office, a claim which angered the residents who are fed up with Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) lies.

“Neno Integrated Youth Centre was launched by Joyce Banda and since then we haven’t seen any tangible thing happening to develop the youth of Neno. There is nothing that DPP has done for the centre within its two-year period into government,” said one of the residents.

Neno, located in the southern region, is the only district without tarmac road.