A cute cash crunch affecting the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) may force it to shelve mobilization of corps members on Friday, Director General, Brigadier General Sulyman Kazaure, said yesterday.
General Kazaure told a Senate Committee that thousands of prospective corps members slated for mobilization on Friday, May 20th 2016 may not be called up due non availability of fund arising from N13billion shortfall in the NYSC 2016 budget.
He noted that the affected prospective Corps members are those in Batch A stream 2, scheduled for mobilization into the 37 orientation camps across the country.
The DG said that as of yesterday (Monday), funds required for the exercise have not been provided by the Federal Government despite efforts made to that effect through several letters by NYSC.
General Kazaure said that letters written for the release of the operational funds especially for mobilization of prospective corps members were forwarded to NYSC supervising ministry, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Finance, Budget and the Presidency before the expiration of orientation camp for Batch A stream one Corps members without any favourable response till date.
He said: “We are presently at a loss in NYSC now as there is no money for us to mobilize thousands of prospective Corps members in the Batch A stream 2 to camp this Friday as earlier planned despite efforts made by us to get things done in that direction several weeks ago.
“ The problem staring us in the face arose from the N13billion shortfall we had in the 2016 budget estimates, upon which the agency made strong request for its provision during budget defence about three months ago.”
The DG however expressed hope that last minute intervention may be made for provision of the funds by the Presidency.
He said the Chief of Staff to the president has invited the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, to see him over the matter.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Youths and Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba, also expressed concern over the issue.
Senator Ogba however assured the DG of the committee’s intervention to ensure that the matter was resolved.
He noted that a meeting involving the Committee, NYSC, Ministries of Finance and Budget, would be held during the week for quick solution to the problem.
He said, “We have listened to you and we are also disturbed about the problem at hand as regards paucity of fund for mobilization of prospective Corps members.
“A solution seeking urgent meeting between us, your establishment and Ministries of Finance and Budget and National Planning would surely be called possibly before this week runs out because NYSC is not something to joke with. Even if it is through urgent supplementary budget provisions, the problem must be quickly tackled by the Federal Government.”