The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Youth Service Scheme

  • Masari commends NYSC for promoting youth development and empowerment

    The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari has commended the National Youth Service Scheme for promoting youth development and empowerment in the country.

    The Governor who was represented by the state Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Aminu Ibrahim Khalil, at the swearing-in-ceremony of the 2019 Batch ‘A’ corps members deployed to the state, assured that government would continue to support NYSC which he described as viable channel for developing Nigerian youths to the next level

    Meanwhile the state Coordinator of the NYSC scheme, Hajia Ramatu Sanda has appealed to the Katsina state government to provide additional accommodation and potable water to its orientation camp in the state to address the social challenges facing the camp, its officials and corps members.

    Hajia Sanda also recalled that some camp officials stay outside the camp for lack of adequate hostel accommodation.

    Read Also: Why I seek reelection -Masari

    She said: “Due to the ever-increasing corps population posted to Katsina state, every service year which needs proper handling and monitoring 24 hours, there is need for additional hotel blocks for camp officials to reside in the camp during orientation course programmes”.

    The NYSC Coordinator further disclosed that at the close of registration, 2, 200 corps members were registered for the twenty-one-day orientation course adding that 1,152 are males, while 1,048 are females.

    While appealing to the state government to also provide jeepee tanks to reticulate water to staff quarters, Mrs. Sanda lauded the host communities and collaborating agencies for their unalloyed supports in all ramifications.

    Declaring the orientation course open, Governor Masari urged the corps members to shun cultism, political violence and religious intolerance during and after their service year.

  • Edo unveils paid Graduate Internship Programme

    …targets 250 youths in first phase

    The Edo State Government through its job creation platform, EdoJobs, has concluded plans to launch the Edo Graduate Internship Programme (Edo-GIP), designed as a 6-month intensive paid internship with the aim of providing young people with access to work experience.

    EdoJobs is an initiative of Governor Godwin Obaseki to create employment opportunities for 200,000 youths in the state. It has been at the forefront of skills training and jobs creation in the state, providing  myriad of job opportunities for youths.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Skills Development and Jobs Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said “The EdoJobs Graduate Internship Programme (EDO-GIP) is a 6-month intensive internship (paid) and mentoring programme to give young people access to work experience and job opportunity with the potential to achieve a 70 per cent permanent employment rate.”

    She said the programme is targeting 250 graduates in the first phase and is being run in partnership with Romanspage Global, a top Human Resource Consulting firm, to train and engage young graduates for the EdoJobs Graduate Internship Programme (EDO-GIP)

    Noting that the programme will provide a foundation for beneficiaries to get employed or gain the right skills and mentoring to start their own businesses, she said, “EDO-GIP is aimed at providing opportunities for young graduates to explore their chosen career fields by assigning them to organisations (large corporations and SMEs) to learn the technical and practical skills required to launch into their desired career paths. At the end of the programme, participants would have acquired and developed transferable skills that would serve as an enviable foundation for building a successful career either as an employee or an entrepreneur.”

    She said interns are needed in Marketing/Sales, Information Technology, Finance/Account, Administration, Front Desk/Customer Service, Human Resources, among others, adding that successful applicants will “gain invaluable work experience during internship; get paid while learning on the job and will be trained on workplace skills before deployment to organisation.”

    Other benefits of the scheme, according to her, “are that beneficiaries will get valuable insights into business practices; explore their career path, have an edge in the job market and grow a network with professionals.”

    She said the applicants must hold a minimum of Bachelor’s degree or Higher National Diploma (HND), must have completed National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC), reside in Edo State, must not be older than 30 years old, must be registered on the EdoJobs portal, show willingness to learn new skills and must be ready to contribute to the organisation they are deployed to.

    She said application will commence from November 1, 2018 on www.edojobs.edostate.gov.ng.

  • NYSC: Presidency considers Shittu’s fate

    Ahead of the decision of the Presidency on his fate, Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu has filed an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja against the All Progressives Congress(APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission( INEC) on the row over his non-participation in the National Youth Service Scheme( NYSC).

    He said it was wrong for APC to disqualify him from the governorship primary election in Oyo State for not presenting NYSC discharge certificate.

    He asked the court to declare  that the submission/presentation of NYSC Discharge Certificate to APC is not part of the requirements for him to participate in the primary election for Nomination of Governorship candidate of the party in Oyo State for the 2019 General Election.

    He insisted that he went through the screening and security checks and was certified fit and qualified to be appointed as a minister.

    He said participation in NYSC Scheme is not a condition precedent to be satisfied before he was appointed a minister.

    He faulted the NYSC for not mobilising him for the scheme.

    The Presidency iss said to be weighing options on Shittu’s fate.

    The options are directing him to step down as a minister, a soft-landing of resignation and allowing his court case to run its full course.

    Shittu has opted to fight his legal battle till the end.

    In the writ by his counsel, Mr. A.U. Mustapha( SAN), the embattled minister asked the court to determine five issues. They are:

    *”whether by the provision of Section 2(1) of the National Youth Service Corps Decree No. 24 of 1973 and/or any other provision of the Decree being the law in force as at 1978 when the Plaintiff graduated at the University of Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) he was under any legal obligation to have warranted the plaintiff’s participation in the National Youth Service Corps in the absence of a call-up instrument duly served on the Plaintiff by the National Youth Service Corps.

    *”whether, by the combined reading of Sections 176-183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [as Amended] and Article 20(iii) & (iv) of the Constitution of the All Progressive Congress; it is a condition that the gubernatorial aspirant of the 1st Defendant (APC) and/or any political party for that matter in Nigeria must present the National Youth Service Corps Discharge/Exemption Certificate;

    *”Whether it is ultra vires the powers of the 1st defendant to have disqualified the plaintiff from participating in its primary election for nomination of the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant in Oyo State for the 2019 General Election on the ground that the plaintiff does not possess National Youth Service Corps Discharge/Exemption Certificate;

    *”Whether it does not amount to denial of fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of as amended for the 1st defendant to have purportedly disqualified the Plaintiff from contesting for governorship election in Oyo State under the platform of the 1st defendant without availing the Plaintiff an opportunity to be heard on the allegations that the plaintiff avoided the National Youth Service Scheme; and

    *”whether by the combined reading of the provisions of Sections 147(5), 65(1)(b) & (2), 66 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 12 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the plaintiff was qualified to have been appointed as a Minister capable of holding the office, and/or any other governmental office at any level notwithstanding the fact that he did not participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme.”

    In an affidavit which he personally sworn to, the 65-year old minister said: “I was liable but not obligated to have participated in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme both at the time I graduated from the said University and as at the time I was called to the Nigerian Bar.

    “ I know as a fact that no “call-up instrument” was served on me as at 1978 when I graduated from the said University by the National Youth Service Corps to have warranted my participation in the scheme.

    “I know as a fact that I was also not served any Notice or notified in any manner to proceed to participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme.

    “I know as a fact that participation in the National Youth Service Corps programme is not one of the requirements to be satisfied under the 1st Defendant’s constitution to enable me participate in the primary election for Nominating the party flag bearer for the office of Governor of Oyo State in the 2019 General Election. A copy of the Constitution of the 1st Defendant is hereby attached and marked as “Exhibit SHITTU 8”.

    “I also know as a fact that under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) it is not a requirement for me to have participated in National Youth Service Corps Scheme to be eligible for participation in the 1st Defendant’s primary election for Nomination of its flag bearer in Oyo State for the 2019 General election.

    “ I know also as a fact that the Electoral Act 2010 [as Amended] did not make participation in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme a condition precedent for contesting any elective office whatsoever.

    “I know also that participation in NYSC Scheme is not one of the requirements to enable me take part in primary election for Nomination of the 1st Defendant’s flag bearer for the office of Governor of Oyo State in the 2019 General election.”

     

     

     

  • Acquire vocational, get start-up capital – Ambode

    Acquire vocational, get start-up capital – Ambode

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos on Monday advised corps members to acquire vocational skills to qualify for a start-up capital from the Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund ( LSETF ).

    Ambode gave the advice at the closing of the orientation course for the 2017 Batch B corps members deployed in the state.

    The governor was represented by the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Oluseye Oladejo.

    According to the governor, the objective of the LSETF is to support young people to become job and wealth creators.

    “I am aware that the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development ( SAED ) programme  was one of the activities in which you were engaged during the orientation.

    “I urge you to take your post-camp training serious and acquire vocational skills of your choice.

    “This will qualify you for a start-up capital from the Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund that was established to provide financial support for Lagos residents and NYSC members serving in the state,’’ he said.

    Read also: Nigeria must create four million jobs annually, says Ambode

    The governor noted that the objective of the National Youth Service Scheme ( NYSC ) was to foster unity among the various ethnic groups in the country.

    “I have no doubt that the orientation course has adequately prepared you for the next phase of your service.

    “You are expected to exhibit good qualities such as tolerance, patriotism, diligence and perseverance in your various places of primary assignment.

    “As you prepare to step out of this camp, I implore you to participate actively in anything that will positively affect the lives of others,’’ he said.

    Ambode called on the corps members to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of their host communities.

    The state Coordinator of the NYSC, Mr Mohammed Momoh, said that 2,549 corps members participated in the orientation course in the state.

    Momoh said that the corps members were taken through well-structured programmes such as citizenship and leadership training, para-military drills and lectures on self-actualisation.

    He urged the corps members to accept in good faith, their postings to their places of primary assignment.

    The coordinator also advised them not to go on unauthorised journeys outside Lagos.

    “If you must travel, permission must be obtained through the proper channel.

    “I encourage you to be agents of change and good ambassadors in your places of primary assignment.

    “I enjoin you to key into the federal and state governments’ grassroots-oriented programmes aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of your host communities,’’ he said.

    NAN