The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Yush’au Ahmed, has called on state governments and all stakeholders to take active measures to ensure the safety and security of corps members within their respective domains.
He made this appeal during a two-day meeting in Abuja, which brought together NYSC management and representatives of state governments. Brig.-Gen. Yush’au Ahmed emphasized that the safety of corps members at all service locations remains a top priority for the NYSC.
This call underscores the importance of providing a secure environment for youth corps members as they serve their country and communities during their NYSC assignments.
“In this regard, we are stepping up our liaison with security agencies, which have been very supportive.
“It is important that state and local governments as well as other stakeholders such as traditional rulers, religious and community leaders play their expected roles in securing corps members,” he said.
The D-G also said that in view of the dangers associated with night journeys, NYSC management had been sensitizing both prospective and serving corps members on the need to stop such dangerous adventures.
“Accordingly, I must use this medium to call on the state governments to join hands with the scheme in discouraging corps members from night journeys.
“As a matter of urgent concern, I appeal to the state governments to initiate policies in this direction.
“Reach out to the Corps Producing Institutions, other stakeholders and transport companies in their states to stop conveying corps members to various locations during night hours,” he added.
He added that corps members are expected to cut their journey by 6.00 p.m. and pass the night at corps lodges, military formations, and other places officially designated as safe and continue the following morning.
Speaking about other matters, Ahmed said that the condition of the orientation camp is critical to the success of the orientation course which is the first cardinal program of the scheme.
He said that apart from the fact that the camp is the first pot of contact of corps members with NYSC, it goes a long way in influencing their impression of the scheme and the state of deployment.
“For these reasons, we have continued to emphasize the need for all our camps to meet the minimum standards with essential facilities such as adequate hostel accommodation, conveniences, a multi-purpose hall, and a good parade ground amongst others.
“I am pleased to note that few states have constructed new orientation camps in recent times while several others are making impressive efforts through renovation and upgrade of existing facilities.
“On the other hand, there are still other camps that are in deplorable conditions across the country,” he said.
Brigadier-General Yush’au Ahmed, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has urged state governments to prioritize the provision of adequate facilities in NYSC camps to ensure the smooth conduct of the orientation course. He also called on states to consider expanding camp facilities to accommodate at least 5,000 corps members due to the continuous rise in the corps population.
Other areas of concern highlighted by the Director-General include the provision of suitable accommodation for corps members, timely payment of state allowances, addressing the issue of corps members being rejected or underutilized by employers, and recognizing and rewarding excellence as well as facilitating post-service employment for corps members.
The theme of the meeting, “Five Decades of National Service: Mobilizing Stakeholders for Enhanced Service Delivery,” aims to assess the performance of states and draw attention to areas in need of improvement. Additionally, the meeting serves as a platform for sharing best practices among all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to enhance the impact of the NYSC scheme on the nation’s socio-economic development.
