‘NYSC Not A Waste Of Time’ — DG Defends Scheme Amid Debate Over Relevance

NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has
said the relevance of the Scheme in the integration and National
cohesion of the country cannot be underestimated.

He said the National Youth Service Corps has been serving as a
tool for the socio-economic development of the country through the
deployment of Corps Members to States outside their States of
origin, where they contribute their quota by making positive impact
in the lives of their host communities through the execution of
different laudable projects.

Ibrahim, who stated this today in his office in Abuja added
that, “NYSC is germane and critical to the unity of the
country’.

NYSC is not a waste of time, wherever Corps Members are posted
to, they have been adding value in order to be remembered with good
legacies”. He said NYSC Management has partnered with the security
agencies in the country in order to ensure adequate protection for
Corps Members during the service year.

He added that Corps Members are always sensitized in camp on the
need to be security conscious, not indulging in late-night
movements and other risky adventures like overnight travelling. He
counselled the Corps Members and prospective Corps Members to break
any journey that will take them beyond 6pm.

Security is everybody’s business and security challenge is not
limited to NYSC alone.

We want to appeal to parents to help us also sensitize their
children not to endanger their safety.

Every country has challenges but we should turn our challenge
into opportunities”, Ibrahim said.

Speaking on youth empowerment, the Director-General said NYSC
Management in 2012 introduced Skill Acquisition and
Entrepreneurship Development Programme into Orientation Course
Content which has enabled thousands of Corps Members to acquire
vocational skills.

He stated further that the partnership between the Scheme and
its stakeholders like the Bank of Industry, Central Bank of
Nigeria, Access Bank among others, which offer soft loans to Corps
Members has turned many of them to employers of labour and wealth
creators today.

The DG also reiterated his call for the establishment of
National Youth Service Trust Fund where a certain percentage of the
proceeds from private organisations would be used to upgrade and
maintain Orientation Camp facilities, while Corps Members would
also be given a certain amount at the end of their service year to
start their business vocations.

He commended the State Governments that have been performing
their statutory responsibility of the provision, maintenance and
upgrade of camp facilities, while calling on others lagging behind
to be alive to their responsibilities.

General Ibrahim reiterated that the NYSC Scheme has a good
posting/deployment policy based on extant guidelines and
regulations.

Posting, redeployment and other services are free in NYSC.
Relocation is done on health and marital grounds with genuine
reasons.

Parents should teach their children to be patriotic and have
human feeling. Let the spirit of NYSC be in us for the betterment
of our country’, Ibrahim added.

He charged Corps Members and the prospective ones not to waste
the service year, but rather improve themselves, as well as add
value to their host communities, in line with the motto of the
NYSC, Service and Humility for which they will be remembered by
posterity.

NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has
said the relevance of the Scheme in the integration and National
cohesion of the country cannot be underestimated.

He said the National Youth Service Corps has been serving as a
tool for the socio-economic development of the country through the
deployment of Corps Members to States outside their States of
origin, where they contribute their quota by making positive impact
in the lives of their host communities through the execution of
different laudable projects.

Ibrahim, who stated this today in his office in Abuja added
that, “NYSC is germane and critical to the unity of the
country’.

NYSC is not a waste of time, wherever Corps Members are posted
to, they have been adding value in order to be remembered with good
legacies”. He said NYSC Management has partnered with the security
agencies in the country in order to ensure adequate protection for
Corps Members during the service year.

He added that Corps Members are always sensitized in camp on the
need to be security conscious, not indulging in late-night
movements and other risky adventures like overnight travelling. He
counselled the Corps Members and prospective Corps Members to break
any journey that will take them beyond 6pm.

Security is everybody’s business and security challenge is not
limited to NYSC alone.

We want to appeal to parents to help us also sensitize their
children not to endanger their safety.

Every country has challenges but we should turn our challenge
into opportunities”, Ibrahim said.

Speaking on youth empowerment, the Director-General said NYSC
Management in 2012 introduced Skill Acquisition and
Entrepreneurship Development Programme into Orientation Course
Content which has enabled thousands of Corps Members to acquire
vocational skills.

He stated further that the partnership between the Scheme and
its stakeholders like the Bank of Industry, Central Bank of
Nigeria, Access Bank among others, which offer soft loans to Corps
Members has turned many of them to employers of labour and wealth
creators today.

The DG also reiterated his call for the establishment of
National Youth Service Trust Fund where a certain percentage of the
proceeds from private organisations would be used to upgrade and
maintain Orientation Camp facilities, while Corps Members would
also be given a certain amount at the end of their service year to
start their business vocations.

He commended the State Governments that have been performing
their statutory responsibility of the provision, maintenance and
upgrade of camp facilities, while calling on others lagging behind
to be alive to their responsibilities.

General Ibrahim reiterated that the NYSC Scheme has a good
posting/deployment policy based on extant guidelines and
regulations.

Posting, redeployment and other services are free in NYSC.
Relocation is done on health and marital grounds with genuine
reasons.

Parents should teach their children to be patriotic and have
human feeling. Let the spirit of NYSC be in us for the betterment
of our country’, Ibrahim added.

He charged Corps Members and the prospective ones not to waste
the service year, but rather improve themselves, as well as add
value to their host communities, in line with the motto of the
NYSC, Service and Humility for which they will be remembered by
posterity.