….Stresses scheme’s zero tolerance to indiscipline as 131 got extension of service
Director-General of the National Youths Service Corps( NYSC) Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu has commended the Governor of Enugu state ,Dr. Peter Mbah for increasing the monthly allowance of Corps members in the state by N20, 000 to augment the federal government ‘s N77,000 .
He also thanked the Governor for his administration ‘s complete reconstruction of the NYSC Permanent Orientation camp, Awgu, saying the gesture showed how much Governor Mbah valued the NYSC scheme .
He gave the commendations on Monday, when he led senior officers of the NYSC on a courtesy visit to the governor in his office,at Government House, Enugu.
Pix: The NYSC DG in handshake with the Commissioner for Youth and Sports
Brigadier-General Nafiu told Governor Mbah that he was in Enugu on a working visit to the state to inspect the NYSC permanent orientation camp , Awgu; to get first-hand appraisal on how the state secretariat is running the orientation activities:; to ascertain the safety and welfare of the staff, and to have a robust advocacy engagement with the state government to further deepen the symbiotic relationship between the government and the Scheme.
He said Enugu state “is conducive” and that has made corps members feel at home and refused to return home after their service year.
The Director- General who said the NYSC was established in 1973 to foster unity in the country, disclosed that 11,116 Enugu state indigenes comprising 4,219 (male) and 6, 797 (female) were serving in different parts of the country ,and in Enugu, 5,636 indigenes of the state were serving in different parts of the state.
Nafiu charged corps members to respect the culture , norms and values of their host states in order to foster cultural integration.
Responding ,Governor Mbah assured the DG of the state government ‘s commitment to completing the reconstruction of the Awgu permanent Orientation Camp within a shortest time.
“Awgu is the first orientation camp that Nigeria had in 1973.Awgu is symbolic to us as a people. It was a center where we talked about the 3Rs( reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation) after the civil war. We want to bring back that historic Parth,” he said.
The Governor described the NYSC scheme as a veritable platform that brings young people across cultures, faith and regions together to serve their mother -land and deepen that love for their mother- land..
He added that aside the rebuilding of the orientation camp, the state government has other interventions for the scheme and promised a continued support to the welfare and safety of the corps members.
Pix: Gov Mbah
The Governor expressed appreciation to the NYSC for the intervention the state got from the scheme, noting that corps members were assisting the state government, some work in the hospitals, some teach at both private and public schools in the state .
Governor Mbah assured the NYSC Director General that the reconstruction works at Awgu permanent orientation camp will be completed and commissioned before the end of the year 2025.
Speaking with Newsmen, the Director-General said the scheme instills discipline in Nigerian youth, disclosing that he approved the extension of the service year of 131 corps members found wanting. In the last set that past out He applauded the NYSC in their efforts in instilling discipline in Nigerian youth, saying that having 131 indisciplined youth out of over 60,000 disciplined youth was not bad, describing the extension of service year as a way of putting things in order.
The Director -General appealed to members of the public to support the scheme.
On his part, the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports,Llyod Ekweremadu disclosed that corps members working in medical sector in the state were already receiving their increments . He disclosed that Doctors receive N80,000, Nurses N40,000 and the General one,N20,000 will be rolled out shortly.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama
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