The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Corps

  • Corps member lifts community

    Indigenes of Karara community in Kogi State have benefited from a community development project organised by a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Toochukwu Onuchukwu.

    During the programme, 53 treated mosquito nets were donated to pregnant women and nursing mothers in the community and free medical screening and counselling on HIV/AIDS were held.

    Representative of the State Co-ordinator of the scheme, Mr Felix Ajayi, commissioned the projects. He said he was impressed by the large turnout of residents and the various ministries and agencies that supported the projects, commending the initiator for mobilising resources to organise the programme.

    The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, who was represented by Mrs Roseline Alabi, lauded the vision of the corps member, describing him as a passionate youth who has taken a leap of faith by impacting positively on the lives of residents of the community.

    Representative of the Commissioner for Health, Mariam Muhammed commended the efforts of the corps member, saying the projects were in line with the goals of the state government.

    The representative of the Local Government Chairman, Mr Bochi Umar praised the corps member for organising the programme.

    A community leader in Karara, Alhaji Ibrahim Kaura, thanked the corps member for successfully executing the projects in the community, adding that the incessant cases of malaria would be reduced.

    Onuchukwu said he was motivated to initiate the projects because of his desire to contribute to the global fight against the scourge of malaria and HIV/AIDS.

     

  • Why corps members can’t write good application

    SIR: An NYSC coordinator was recently quoted as saying that 89% of corps members cannot write good application, and lack good communication skills. What should we expect when WAEC and JAMB has special and magic centres and JAMB answers come out two days before the exam takes place?

    Hat should we expect when lecturers collect money ‘sorting’ from students for high grades, when final year students are always looking for where to buy project topics and materials, and one keep on wondering, what has these students been doing in school for the 4-6 years in school that they are still looking for project topic?

    When some lecturers will ask female students to use their money to book a hotel room in other to earn high grades; when for a four-year course, students spend seven years with 20 months of strike?

    When some lecturers hardly come to class, meanwhile some lecturers themselves are more corrupt than politicians.

    When lecturers photocopy their colleagues literary work and call it ‘handout’ then tell students to buy it for 5-7 thousand naira failure of which earn the student an F grade?

    When the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has been politicized and the Federal Government does not give a damn about the deteriorating nature of the education sector.

    When children to our politicians and other highly placed Nigerians are all schooling in expensive and highly sophisticated schools abroad, where there is no strike.

    The way forward in my own opinion, the government, lecturers, parents, students and all agencies under the Ministry of Education needs re-orientation; the whole system needs overhaul.

    We need a bottom-top approach, if we must resuscitate the Nigerian education sector.

    Both students and lecturers must sit up. State of emergency should be declared in the education sector. Sorting in cash or in kind must end, harassing of female students by male lecturers too must end.

    Students must only be graded based on what they wrote starting from secondary schools, WAEC, JAMB and every other examination as well as admission into any higher institution must be based on merit.

    Hard work must be appreciated and encouraged. Every politician, political leader, and all public office holder’s child(ren) must study in public schools here, yes, so the government will have the public schools at heart.

    School system and learning environment must be made conducive and appealing.

     

    • Favour Mkpo Udoma,

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State

  • Corps member seeks executors of MDGs projects

    Corps member seeks executors of MDGs projects

    The people of Uwanse community in Cross River State have benefited from a health sensitisation and skills acquisition training programme. It was organised by a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Amarachi Kalu as part of his Community Development Service (CDS). This is in line with her duty as a NYSC/Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) volunteer and Development Knowledge Facilitator.

    Free anti-malaria drugs and mosquito nets were distributed to residents of Uwanse community. There were also free medical check-up for pregnant women, provision of worm expellers to children and skills training sessions were held on how to make soap and detergents.

    On what inspired the project, Amarachi said: “One of the cardinal objectives of the MDGs is to eradicate poverty and hunger and to combat malaria and other diseases. After carrying out a need assessment survey in Uwanse community, I discovered that most youths are unemployed and there is also a prevalence of malaria among dwellers. Consequently, I felt the need to contribute my quota towards making the community a better place for the residents.

    In his opening remark, chairman of Calabar South Local Government Area, who was represented by the vice-chairman, Hon Francis Asuquo, praised the Corps member, pledging the council’s continued support for such projects.

    NYSC Co-ordinator in the state Nkereke Ibangha said the event was part of the ways NYSC is partnering MDGs in its advocacy campaigns.

    He said: “This is a laudable project that tells how far the NYSC/MDGs Advocacy programme has gone. We are committed to building communities and eradicating poverty and diseases. We sincerely appreciate the convener of this project, Amarachi, for the good work. I urge young people across the country to engage in beneficial tasks like this.”

    He urged the people of Uwanse to cooperate with Corps member in the state, saying it will help to them to do more for the community.

  • Special border corps

    Special border corps

    •This is superfluous. Rather we should strengthen existing institutions

    We know that the nation’s borders have always been porous. We equally know that something drastic must be done to curb the trend. But what is doubtful is whether the Federal Government’s imminent move to create a special border corps to be responsible for protecting the nation’s borders against especially terrorists and illegal immigrants’ infiltration, will be the panacea.

    Emeka Obua, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Public Relations Officer reportedly confirmed the move: “The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, has been working tirelessly with the Controller-General of Immigration (CGI), to ensure that the border corps is established by the Federal Government. The corps will be in charge of border protection and it will be fully equipped with the latest security equipment to stop terrorists and other irregular immigrants from breaching our borders; the formation of the corps would be announced in due course,” he said. David Parradang, the CGI has also submitted a proposal requesting for the approval of 5,000 recruits to that effect, to the government. This is aside from those that would be deployed from the immigration service to work with the proposed outfit.

    The border corps, to be costumed in camouflage, will be statutorily empowered to move around the borders in patrol vans round the clock and will reportedly have access to digital infrared cameras, hand scanners and other hi-tech security gadgets to detect illegal entry into the country through the borders.

    Unfortunately, it is debatable whether the promoters of this initiative can vouch for its effectiveness and sustainability. Rather than fashion out ways through which the NIS can be made more virile, it is sad that some government officials came up with such fantasy as policy. We are certain that it would, at best, be another drain on the public till; a shadow chasing plot, which obviously makes a mockery of existing structures and the touted move of the current administration to curb illegalities at the nation’s numerous border posts.

    If indeed the CGI has made a case to the presidency regarding the problem of inadequate staffing facing the Immigration service, how would the creation of a special border corps be solution to this? Assuming the government even succeeds in its move to establish this proposed, well-catered-for and better-equipped corps, would that not translate to breeding unhealthy rivalry with the staff of the NIS? It is wrong for the government to embark on this policy when it has not solved the myriad of problems facing the Immigration service.

    We agree that the nation needs to do something urgent concerning its borders at this time when terrorist activities pervade the land. The influx of agents of violence into Nigeria is a consequence of her long admitted permeable borders manned mostly by ill-motivated and corrupt officers. But to rectify this anomaly would not have been through the setting up of a parallel agency that might lead to avoidable rancour.

    We call on the government to fortify the Immigration service so that it can adequately respond to contemporary challenges. The service needs modern security gadgets; it needs sophisticated communication gadgets, strong patrol vehicles, bullet-proof vests and more importantly, a tested insurance scheme to cater for its staff in case of any accident. The budget being proposed for this special corps will readily serve this essence and also make the nation’s borders reasonably impervious to the antics of illegal immigrants that are mostly on a mission to foment bedlam in the land.

    The government should forget this grandiose idea of setting up a new special corps to reinforce the borders. As we have argued, strengthening the existing institutions will suffice.

     

  • Corps producing schools to upgrade ICT platform

    Institutions of higher learning whose graduates are mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme have been charged to update their Information Communications Technology facilities (ICT) to synchronise with the NYSC ICT mobilization process.

    This was part of the eight-point resolutions made at the 2013 Batch ‘C’ Pre-mobilization Workshop.

    It was also resolved that the corps producing Institutions (CPIs) should train officers in ICT and assign them to manage the mobilization procedure in their institutions to enhance error-free submission of data.

    The participants at the workshop, which had the theme: “Appraising NYSC Mobilization Strategies for better Service Delivery”, also want the CPIs to clearly explain JAMB regularization and administrative fees charged their graduates to avoid creating impression that the charges are from the NYSC.

    During the workshop, the CPIs thanked the NYSC management for accepting to mobilise graduates in excess of their approved admission quota in the 2013 Batch ‘B’ mobilization exercise, and appealed for an extension to 2014 to enable them clear all the backlog.

    Participants also agreed that the NYSC management should fulfil an earlier promise to convene a meeting of heads of CPIs with regulatory agencies to enable them resolve challenges facing the mobilization process.

    It was further resolved that the NYSC management would look into the cases of part-time graduates, whose dates of graduation preceded 2001 when the Policy on Exclusion came into force.

     

  • Corps member empowers widows

    A corps member serving in Oyo State, Olawale Shoyombo, has organised a vocational skills training for widows in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

    The two-day event tagged, Project H.T.W.E. (Helping the Widows Excel), was organised in collaboration with La Vie Mot Global Mission, a non-governmental organisation.

    In her address, Director of Education and Social Services, Ibadan South West Local Government, Dr Ayo Alaga, represented by Mrs. Rashidat Ogundiya, urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously. She implored them to cultivate the habit of saving for the future and avoid extravagance.

    Folasade Adedeji from Zaria Children Home, Ibadan, spoke on the basics of good health and adequate nutrition. She encouraged widows to cook for their children and avoid fast foods. Another speaker, Mrs. Temiloluwa Morenikeji, Director of His Heritage Homes, took the widows through the fundamentals of effective child care. She noted that keeping children safe is a mother’s responsibility. She added that: “It is the role of a mother to understand her children and let them know about sex education right from a tender age.”

    The second day witnessed skills acquisition training on how to make chin-chin, puff pastry, buns, egg-buns, local drinks like zobo and kunu. Different items like bags of flours, vegetable oil, frying pots, perforated frying spoons, rolling boards, rolling pins, crates of egg and baking powder, sugar, milk and flavours were also presented to the widows.

    Mr. Tunde Ajuwon, a representative of Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs, appreciated the convener of the project. He urged the beneficiaries to utilise what they had learnt to improve the quality of life of their families.

    Speaking with CAMPUS LIFE at the end of the programme, Shoyombo, an Estate Management graduate of Covenant University, said: “before I was mobilised for NYSC, God had laid it in my heart to assist the less-privileged and I really appreciate God for making project H.T.W.E. a reality. The project is a means to achieve that which God had laid in my heart.”

    When CAMPUSLIFE visited some of the widows few days after the programme; one of them Mrs Taiwo Monsurat, who lives along Oja Oba in Ibadan, had already started making puff pastry and chin-chin for sale.

     

  • Corps members get new CDS

    Corps members get new CDS

    Co-ordinator of Cross River State directorate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr Nkereke Ibangha, has approved a new Community Development Service (CDS) group for Corps members serving in the University of Calabar (UNICAL). This was made known during a seminar organised by the Corps members.

    Tagged The youth’s knowledge for service to the nation, the workshop was held at the international conference center of the institution.

    The programme was aimed at sensitising the youths on the importance of selfless service to nation building and role of youths in socio-economic and political development.

    President of the group, Monu Ihuchioma, thanked the management and the NYSC authorities for supporting the programme.

    Noting that the CDS was established in 2010 to foster good relationship between the university and Corps members, Monu said the group was ready to donate projects to the host community.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof James Epoke, represented by his deputy on Academics, Prof Austin Obiekezie, promised the university would continue to integrate Corps members into the system and improve their welfare.

    The guest speaker, Mr Charles Ezeh, said national development always start from individuals, saying one could not change a country without changing himself first. He urged the Corps members to embrace entrepreneurship to be independent after their service year.

    The Dean of Faculty of Education, Prof Florence Obi, spoke on the need for governments and private organisations to create opportunities for youths. She commended the Corps members for putting up the seminar for the benefit of youths.

    The Cross River State Commissioner of Justice, Attach Ochinke, represented by Emmanuel Esira, performed the oath-taking on new executives of the group, who included Ibrahim Babatunde, Vice President; Amarachi Kalu, General Secretary and Reuben Agu, Public Relations Officer.

     

     

  • Corps member floats FRSC club in school

    A Corps member and a member of the Road Safety Club of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Abimbola Shittu, has inaugurated a club at Onilekere Junior High School in Ikeja, Lagos as part of her Community Development Service (CDS).

    She provided kits for the pupils, who joined the club.

    She said the gesture was to ensure the safety of pupils and inculcate safety rule among secondary school pupils. She added that she picked the school because of it closeness to the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

    “The school is close to the expressway and there is no provision for a pedestrian bridge. So the pupils are exposed to danger. This was confirmed in my discussion with the principal of the school who told me they have witnessed a good percentage of road crashes involving members of the school,” she stated.

    She said members of the club would be taught safety measures on the road and will be able to sensitise other pupils on how to make use of the road. She added that they would be agents of public enlightenment.

    The Unit Commander of RS218 Ikeja Unit of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Wale Odekunle, who inaugurated the club, commended the effort of Shittu and enumerated the advantages of the gesture.

    He said: “Daily, people are dying on our roads, and a good number of these deaths are children. These deaths are of serious concern to the Corps and research has shown that most of the crashes are as a result of human errors and judgment.”

    He added that in order to reduce the crashes and imbibe the right road culture on the populace, the FRSC would be establishing road safety club in all schools.

    “The FRSC has taken it upon itself to introduce Road Safety Club in our primary and secondary schools all over the country,” he said, enjoining the club members to be ambassadors that would help change the attitude of Nigerians towards traffic culture and bring the desirable change on our roads.

    The Chairman of Ikeja Local Government Area, Hon Wale Odunlami, commended the Corps member for facilitating the inauguration of the club, stressing that there was the need for orderliness on the road which the club could help achieve. He encouraged the members of the club to see the opportunity as a call to service. The council boss was represented by the Supervisor for Agriculture, Mrs Abiodun Adegoke.

    The Principal of the school, Alhaji Safiyu Sikiru, praised the FRSC and the Corps member for the inauguration of the club. He said the club would help the pupils to be road friendly and avoid crashes witnessed by the school in recent times.

     

  • ‘How Corps members saved my life’

    If not for some Corps members, Yohanna Daniel, a senior Secondary School (SSS3) pupil, would have been dead by now. He was about to commit suicide following a road crash that led to the amputation of his right leg when Corps members in Gadabuke Development Area of Nasarawa State came to his rescue. DAYO OJERINDE (Corps member, NYSC Keffi) tells Yohanna’s story.

     

     

    Hohanna Daniel, a Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 pupil of Unity High School in Gadabuke Development Area of Nasarawa State, contemplated suicide after several months of battling with gangrene on his right leg. He had an accident on a motorcycle while travelling to Gadabuke Town from his village. The motorcycle collided with an oncoming car.

    He was unconscious for several hours after the accident. When he opened his eyes, he found himself at Godiya Private Hospital, Gadabuke, where sympathisers rushed him to after the crash.

    His right leg was damaged and the medical personnel told him he would require an operation.

    His parents made funds available for the operation. But after a series of operations, which Yohanna said the hospital handled carelessly, the pains persisted. Rather than heal, the leg began to decay.

    Having exhausted themselves, Yohanna’s parents could not provide funds for another operation.

    Apparently frustrated, Yohanna said he began to think of suicide. He said if he died, the pain would disappear. He said he had a dream of becoming a successful professional, but life became unbearable for him because of the pains.

    Corps members serving in Gadabuke Town changed his suicide plan. Through their Community Development Service (CDS), the Corps members. They contributed their monthly allowance to enable Yohanna undergo another round of surgery at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, where Yohanna’s leg was amputated to stop the decay.

    Speaking on what motivated the Corps members, the CDS Co-ordinator, Jeffery Igbuzor, said: “This boy lives close to my house. I felt the pain he was going through because the doctor that operated the leg after the accident did a bad job. I informed my colleagues about the agony of the pupil at a CDS meeting we had. They all supported the idea and we moved it.”

    Asked about the challenges they encountered, Jeffery said: “We could not get all the funds requested at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi. Many of us had to contribute from our meagre stipends. We also went round the schools in Gadabuke Development Area to seek for money. Some principals supported us while some promised to get back to us.”

    The Corpers’ Liaison Officer (CLO) in the area, who was present in the hospital during the surgery, said: “We appreciate the effort of our Local Inspector (LI), Mr Moses Adamolekun, who was supportive during the period. He could have rejected the whole idea in the first place but he encouraged us and even visited the hospital to check on the boy after the surgery. All Corps members in Gadabuke took the issue of this boy as their personal project.”

    When CAMPUSLIFE visited him, Yohanna, who could hardly speak, broke down in tears, saying: “If the Corps members did not come to my rescue, I would have committed suicide because of the pains I was passing through after the accident and after the first careless operation I had. I will return to school as soon as the wound is healed.”

    Adamolekun said: “When the Corps members informed about the condition of Yohanna, my heart literally melted. I told them that this is a task we must do to save the life of the boy. In a way, we have tried our best, and we will not stop there; an artificial leg is important too. We want this boy to be on his feet again, though with an artificial leg. I believe with God, everything is possible.”

    The lad is in need of an artificial leg, the Corps members said would cost N150,000. Having contributed from their personal finance, the Corps members urged philanthropists across the nation to join in giving Yohanna’s life a meaning.

  • Corps members sink borehole for community

    Corps members sink borehole for community

    For some time now, Guyinda village, a community located around Idu Karimo in Abuja, has been experiencing serious water challenges. But a few days ago, the story changed and now they boast of potable water with the intervention of corps members who donated a manual borehole to them.

    The three Batch B corps members in the Federal Capital Territory dug and donated the manual borehole to the community which identified potable water as its major challenge. They also trained some of the women on how to make beads and liquid soaps, among other things.

    The trio, Haruna Amina, Owoeye Ebun and Haruna Blessing disclosed that they were inspired by boredom and their Community Development Service (CDS) Coordinator who announced the idea of rendering a personal community development service.

    Aisha, who spoke to Abuja Review on behalf of the three corps members said: “I felt a bit bored at work because there wasn’t so much work in my place of primary assignment (PPA) and it was not taxing. So, I said to myself if this is how the whole one year will be, I will find something to do. So, I decided to invite my friends who had already shown interest in doing something that will benefit other people.”

    Continuing, she said: “When we got to the village, the main thing the village head told us was their need for water. Before we dug the borehole, their source of water was a river. We had to provide them with drinking water. All other projects were just something to complement the main one.

    “At first, they demanded an electric borehole but we felt it does not make sense because of the cost of fuelling a generator in case there is no light. Since they don’t have light there, what will happen when there is fuel scarcity? Also, they are villagers who find it difficult to eat. How would they get money to fuel a generator? It does not make any sense. That was why we decided to sink the manual borehole,” she added.

    On how they will maintain the borehole, the Village Chief, Chief Michael Agashi who was represented by Mr. Chinkobo promised to assign the youth head to be in charge of the borehole, even as he said they would hold meetings from time to time to know if the borehole has any problem so that they will contribute money to effect repairs on it.

    He said: “We are grateful for what these ladies have done for us. Our kids will no longer wake up by 4:00 a.m. to rush to the stream for water.”

    The Chief, who appealed to government to dig more boreholes in the village also called on corps members to be posted to the primary school located in the village.

    Miss Haruna further explained that interested women were picked to participate in skill acquisition.

    “We had one-on-one interview with them before they were selected to participate in the skill acquisition. This is because we didn’t want a scenario where we will train them with our meager resources and it will end as a waste.”

    She added that “we are buying start-up materials for five bead-making participants and 10 liquid soap-making participants.

    “I think health is everybody’s concern. We all fall sick; we all take medicine, we all drink water, and mosquitoes don’t choose who to bite. We were also able to conduct public health seminar on maternity, infant care, hypertension and the distribution of 100 pieces of mosquito nets,” she said.