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Tag: NYSC

  • Taraba announces new packages for NYSC members, SS3 pupils

    Taraba announces new packages for NYSC members, SS3 pupils

    The Taraba State Government has approved a 200 per cent increase in monthly, medical and accommodation allowances of youth corps members serving in government schools to N125,000 as well as automatic employment.

    A statement by the Commissioner of Information Zainab Usman Jalingo said the Governor, Agbu Kefas, said the provision of free basic education in the state had “yielded remarkable outcomes within a short span”.

    It added that “the surge in new enrolments witnessed in our primary and secondary schools over the past 10 working days has necessitated immediate action.”

    She described the step as a “bold” measure towards the provision of free and improved basic education.

    “As an emergency response to the education situation, the governor has approved significant allowances for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Taraba State schools.

    “An additional N10,000 will be added to their monthly allowance. A one-time payment of N50,000 as medical allowance, an accommodation allowance of N25,000 per term, totaling N75,000 for three terms.

    “Exceptional Youth Corp members, who distinguish themselves while serving in schools, will be offered automatic employment opportunities,” the statement read.

    Read Also: INEC: insecurity threatens Nov 11 governorship polls

    According to the commissioner, her ministry would collaborate with the Commissioner of Youth and Sports to ensure the timely implementation of the new packages for the youth corps members.

    Jalingo listed other measures, which include the introduction of ICT-based registration for teachers as well as new and returning students, provision of uniforms and educational materials.

    Also, shoes, socks and books would be made available by January to support students in their pursuit of education.

    Others are sponsorship for SS3 students, which would cover their examination fees for both WAEC and NECO examinations.

    “Exceptional students will be eligible for sponsorship and scholarships,” the commissioner stated.

    The statement added: “Adult learners seeking new enrollment should be directed to the various mass education centres, ensuring accessibility to education for all.

    “Schools that have reached their maximum capacity in terms of facilities will implement a shifting system temporarily while additional buildings are provided to meet the increasing demand.”

  • Efforts underway to secure release of kidnapped NYSC Corps members, says DG

    Efforts underway to secure release of kidnapped NYSC Corps members, says DG

    Brig.-Gen. Yush’au Ahmed, Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has announced that the Service was working tirelessly to secure the release of all the Corps members who were kidnapped in August on their way to their orientation camp in Sokoto.

    Speaking at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development in Abuja on Thursday, September 21, the NYSC boss also cautioned Corps members against travelling at night.

    He disclosed that three out of the eight prospective corps members abducted in August 2023 on their way to the orientation camp in Sokoto state have been released.

    According to him, all relevant security agencies are working in synergy with the traditional and religious leaders to secure the release of the remaining five.

    He said: “We are making efforts to see that we get the children out of captivity. From all the signs we are receiving, we are hopeful we will get them as soon as possible.”

    According to him, the released corps members have been redeployed to the FCT and given proper medical attention.

    He said traveling at night was against the safety tips given to all corps and prospective corps members while asking for strict adherence to all the safety tips issued by the scheme to prevent future occurrences.

    The chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development, Martins Esin (PDP-Akwa Ibom) said that the house was worried about the situation of the corps members.

    Read Also: Abducted NYSC members and a captive country

    He explained that the interactive session was organised to get firsthand information on the situation of the prospective corps members in captivity.

    He said: “I am happy, we are happy with the work so far done on the release of those still in captivity, I like the engagements with sister agencies to secure them.

    “Based on the interaction we have had, I am certain in my spirit that these prospective corps members will be reunited with their families.

    “We are calling on all stakeholders to support the NYSC to ensure the security of lives and property of corps members.

    “Continue to be on the top of the situation but if we notice a derail, we will be the first to raise the red flag.”

    He said the management of the scheme to proactively come up with a rehabilitation programme to take care of trauma that they may have suffered when released.

    The lawmaker said that there is a need to strengthen the travel advice mechanism to enhance compliance, saying “Before your camp, do your combing and raise flags so that corps members can know how to navigate going forward so these things do not happen again.

    “We will give you the backing legislative-wise to get this scheme forward, this is the best time to do so as we have a president who is a lover of youths and demonstrated in his appointments.”

    The chairman pledged that the committee would reconsider the bill on the NYSC Trust Fund and apply the necessary motion to have it passed into law.

    The committee resolved that the management of NYSC should visit the families of the victims and brief them on the efforts so far made

  • Abducted NYSC members and a captive country

    Abducted NYSC members and a captive country

    Sir: Nigeria’s scandalous state of insecurity took a turn for the worse when eight corps members traveling from Uyo to Sokoto State  for the mandatory one-year National Youth Service were abducted on August 19, on a highway in Zamfara  State.

    About a month later, they are yet to be released as concerns grow about their safety and well-being.

    Every day in Nigeria somehow manages to bring fresh security challenges. Nigeria’s rural communities have borne the brunt of this insecurity. Tucked into unfavourable terrains and far removed from serious security operations, many of them have been forced to navigate the chilling squeeze of poverty and insecurity.

    But who is to blame?

    For years now, as insecurity has gained traction in Nigeria, blame has become the name of the game. Security personnel have hardly hesitated to blame vulnerable Nigerians for attacks on them, whenever convenient. It has quickly played out in this situation too. When the father of one of the abducted corps members complained that the scheme was not doing enough, the NYSC quickly reacted by blaming the corps members for travelling at night and getting abducted.

    While the distraught father and the hard-pressed scheme may each have had a point to make, the roots of the problem which have turned the young graduates into victims run deeper.

    Why can’t Nigerians travel at any time of the day without fear? Why are the roads so patently unsafe?

    Night travel always comes with a measure of risk because under the cover of darkness, the worst version of men usually manages to somehow emerge.

    Read Also: NYSC certificate: Musawa urges public to avoid unverified information

    In Nigeria, night travel has somehow become akin to signing one’s death warrant. With ruthless criminals crawling all over the country, Nigerian roads have, in addition to being deathtraps no, thanks to their yawning potholes, also become lairs for terrorists.

    But to blame the young graduates for their plight is to divert attention away from the fact that there is hardly anywhere that is safe in the country.

    No matter the gravity of the rather unfortunate attempts to deflect attention from the situation, the truth remains that Nigerians need security. It is as simple as that.

    Sources have said that there have been ransom demands made on the families of the corps members. One source put the ransom demand at N4 million.

    In Nigeria’s current crunch economic climate, it is anyone’s guess how the families of the corps members are expected to raise money to meet the extortionate demand of the kidnappers.

    The law In Nigeria also criminalises the payment of ransom to kidnappers. When the legislation was passed last year, many Nigerians could not help but laugh at the irony of it all. Many were at pains to point out that unless kidnappers were forced out of business, such a legislation was not only impracticable but unfair.

    Many months later, Nigerians are still kidnapped at will and forced to cough out millions of Naira in ransom.

    Nigerians need to feel safe, wherever they are within the country. To achieve this state of security, security agencies need to step up their game. The government in Abuja and in every state must accord security the highest priority.

    When people are picked up at random by criminals and held for days with enfeebled security personnel doing nothing to rescue them, the message sent is that the state is weak. Surely, a country battling insecurity on all fronts cannot afford to be perceived as weak.

    Then, the criminal justice system of the country must be seen to be at its absolute best. From detention, investigation, prosecution and incarceration, there is a bounden duty on the government to ensure that the criminal justice system works optimally.

    The hapless corps members who have spent about a month in the lair of criminals deserve justice as does every other victim of the catastrophic insecurity crippling Nigeria.

    Without this, life in Nigeria will remain nasty, brutish, and short.

    • Ike Willie-Nwobu, Ikewilly9@gmail.com
  • NYSC certificate: Musawa urges public to avoid unverified information

    NYSC certificate: Musawa urges public to avoid unverified information

    The Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has urged the public to be cautious of unverified information relating to her National Youth Service Corps certificate.

    Musawa made the appeal in a statement issued by Deputy Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Suleiman Haruna, in Abuja on Monday.

    “The attention of Musawa has been drawn to a recently circulating piece titled “ My personal statement on my NYSC status as a serving minister.”

    “The piece is inaccurately associated with her in relation to the current NYSC discussion.

    Read Also: Musawa and Nigeria’s cultural economy

    “The minister clarifies that she has not released any official statement regarding the aforementioned matter and kindly asks the public to be cautious of unverified information.

    “I value and appreciate the support, solidarity, and understanding of Nigerians. For clarity, I wish to state that I have not issued any statement on the current issue,” Musawa said. (NAN)

  • NYSC, SAED, trader okay forex tradingeducation for graduates

    NYSC, SAED, trader okay forex trading
    education for graduates

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) ,  Skills Acquisition & Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Programme of the Federal Government and Forex trader Temitope Ijibadejo have partnered to provide opportunities for young graduates to tap into forex trading, unlocking a new era of financial independence and entrepreneurship.

    The SAED Programme, a pivotal initiative by the Federal Government, is dedicated to equipping young graduates with the essential skills and knowledge required to tread the path of entrepreneurship.

    Read Also: 13 years after, NYSC reopens Orientation Camp in Borno

    Recognising the potential of forex trading as a vehicle for financial growth and independence, Ijibadejo has committed his expertise, time, and resources to train and mentor an impressive cohort of 5,000 young graduates, over the past four years through the SAED programme, which was launched by the Federal Government in 2012 to mitigate the challenge of joblessness faced by graduates after school.

    “Imparting knowledge is the only way the teacher can keep abreast of developments in his field.  Forex trading education is important for young graduates who are willing to be entrepreneurs. Hence, I enjoy the opportunity to mentor young people who are enthusiastic about forex trading and business development,” he said.

    Ijibadejo noted that the greatest challenge facing Nigeria isn’t so much the type that can be solved by the government, but individuals.

     “The greatest fallacy young people believe is that the government will create jobs; all the jobs the nation needs. That is just not possible. Our country has enormous potential in human material resources. Our market is about the largest in Africa. What more do we need? Nothing but ability to spot opportunities and develop those opportunities,” he added.

    The forex trader noted that the partnership is not merely about education; it is about nurturing a new generation of traders who are equipped with the skills to navigate the intricate forex market and forge their own paths as entrepreneurs.

    His words:”The partnership is all about nurturing a generation that is not only equipped to tackle economic challenges but also poised to steer Nigeria toward a future of sustained growth and prosperity.”

    He noted that forex trading is a  dynamic and evolving domain within the financial world, requiring  a unique blend of knowledge, strategy, and resilience, adding that it is needed to foster economic growth and social progress.

  • Corps member donates 688 Sandals to primary school pupils in Lokoja

    A serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kogi, Miss Aderonke Adeoye, on Wednesday donated 688 sandals to less privileged primary school pupils in Lokoja to encourage them to go to school.

    Donating some of the sandals to the pupils of Lokongoma Primary School, Lokoja, Adeoye said the gesture was to make the children happy and encourage them to always go to school, as well as to enable them to realise the importance of education in life.

    Adeoye, who is an indigene of Ekiti State, said a total of six different primary schools in Lokoja would get the shoes.

    “Some of the children wear slippers to school while some wear spoilt sandals which make them to look very rough and dirty.

    “I want to make the children happy and encourage them to always go to school and to let them realise the importance of education in life,” she said.

    She enjoined fellow corps members to make impact on the lives of the less privileged children, saying, “it is part of what we were taught in our orientation camp – to serve our father land wholeheartedly”.

    She thanked the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue for its support as well as other philanthropists in the state for their financial and moral support.

    Read Also: ‘I won NYSC award for catching thieves in camp’

    Speaking at the occasion, the state Commissioner for Education and Science, Rosemary Osikoya, advised the pupils to make good use of the sandals by wearing them to school.

    Osikoya, who was represented by Mr Femi Sunday, the Director, Education Support Service (ESS), advised parents not to sell the sandals but use them for the benefit of their children.

    He further urged the parents to pray for the corps member for putting smile on the faces of the children.

    “Giving to the less privileged is what I love doing and God is the only one that can reward givers,” she said.

    The benefiting schools are: Kabawa Nursery and Primary school 1and 2, Serikinoma Nursery and Primary school; Maadi Nursery and Primary school; Liwaul-HAMDI Nursery and Primary School; St. Mary’s L.G.E.A Nursery/Primary School 1, and Lokongoma L.G.E.A Nursery/Primary School, Lokoja.

    (NAN)

  • Getting the right partner during NYSC

    National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was created by former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd) on May 22, 1973 to, among other functions, foster inter-tribal marriages.

    It was also a part of efforts to boost national integration, which will bring the unity that the country earnestly desires.

    Nature has it that neither man nor woman, irrespective of their education background, wealth, intelligence or beauty, is considered complete or balanced without a spouse. Perhaps, this may have been the reason behind the call by the new Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, to corps members to embrace intimate interaction with one another and allow natural love lead them into inter-tribal marriages.

    The DG re-echoed his inter-tribal marriage ‘evangelism’ during his visit to 2019 Batch “B” Stream One corps members at NYSC Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun State, where he explained that NYSC was established as a tool to foster national unity, hence, it  would continue to encourage inter-tribal marriages among corps members.

    Upon his assumption to office, the new state coordinator of NYSC in Kogi State, Mr Lasaki Taofic Olayiwola, also re-echoed the DG’s position by calling for inter-tribal marriages among corps members. He explained that he wished to see them intermarry during and after their service year in order to enhance national integration and unity.

    However, obsessionfor ‘already-made husband-wives has been a barrier to fostering inter-tribal marriage among corps members in Nigeria. In other words, the desire for a partner with higher degrees, higher income and apt body shape are some of the enemies working against inter-tribal marriages among corps members in Nigeria.

    A friend and a fellow corps member asked: ‘David, how can I increase my chances of finding a right partner during my service year? And when I meet him, how do I know that he’s the one?’

    I thought of it and told her that truly, everyone has his/her love life; everyone has a dream of getting a perfect partner. However, this seems not to be easy in real life, let alone during NYSC but the bitter truth is that you should have enough courage to trust and love especially during your NYSC, not minding the tribe where the partner comes from.

    Another  corps member felt most women corps members could not differentiate between their needs and wants, pointing out that until ladies realise this, they would continue running into difficulty in getting a right partner.

    The corps member believes that the service year is the most significant stage in a young graduate’s life, stressing that it’s only during this phase a lady can know a resourceful husband and vice versa. He pointed out that it’s only a person known as a beggar that one could easily predict his or her future. Is she the type that always asks you to take her out for lunch or dinner? What type of life does she live? What type of friends does she keep? How does the male corps member spend his alawee (allowances)? These are some of the questions one must examine before jumping into a courtship with a fellow corps member because you actually need a partner that will fuel your dreams and engage your God-given potential.

    Inquiry has also shown that most women corps members do not want to engage in relationship with their fellow corps members  because of the fear they will be dumped at the end of the service year.

    A corps member told me that aside fear, parents are also one of the factors working against inter-tribal marriages, owing to their level of education, religious inclinations, cultural background, and social class, among others. In other words, some parents will never allow their children to date or get married to any tribe already in their blacklist. They will simply tell you that ‘It’s a no go area’.

    Nobody can predict the future. As a corps member, you just have to engage a suitable fellow corps member in a relationship not minding his or her tribe, give all your trust in the relationship and do your best to see if the relationship will work out. Give him/her every last drop of love you have. I think one of the most important things in a relationship is caring for each other through good times and bad times.

    Observation has shown that the reasons why most male corps members run away from their female counterparts include high demand for money, pretence and their kind of company.

    Some female corps members who grew up with one complex or deficiencies do try to cover up via dressing during their NYSC. Others who are so shy or easily intimidated may try to pretend in order to be accorded more respect. However, this may only complicate issues the more or worse still scare away a possible suitor.

    Excessive make-up has eaten deep into the sense of some female corps members. They forget that too much of everything is bad. I think you can meet your soulmate if you actually minimise your make-up and what you put on as a dress because the way you dress speaks volume of who you are and what you are going to become.

    Tattoo on your body can’t allow you to get a right partner during your NYSC year. This form of design on the body either temporary or permanently is synonymous with indecent dressing. It may be hard for a responsible male or female corps member to accept you with those marks.

    It has also become a fad  for female corps members to wear odd accessories like big ear-rings, dog chain, heavy crucifix among others and this can best be describe as immoral to certain extent.

    Religious houses are not exceptional places for you to get a right partner during your NYSC. You have to know what you are looking for and what to avoid. If you have had a few relationships in the past, you can start by looking at why those relationships failed and whether you tend to fall for the same type of person in future.

    Be that as it may, it’s essential to state that in the process of getting a right partner from another tribe during NYSC, ‘don’t Rush’ so that you don’t have to end up regretting. In other words, find out who he/she is before jumping into anything permanent. I pray that sooner, you will meet that right man that will make you have a very happy life.

     

  • NUC, NYSC to block ‘fake’ foreign-trained graduates from service

    The National Universities Commission (NUC), in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), on Tuesday said it had put measures in place to block fake foreign-trained graduates from partaking in the compulsory one-year national service.

    The NUC said it would continue to ensure the credibility of certificates issued by Nigerian universities and block fake foreign-trained graduates coming into the country.

    Its Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, spoke when the NYSC Director General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, visited him at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    A statement in Abuja by the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi, regretted the challenges in vetting the certificates obtained from universities established by Nigerians outside the country.

    Read Also: NYSC remains only stable workforce in Nigeria – DG

    The NUC chief said many universities produce quality graduates while some produce graduates who cannot defend their certificates.

    He said the commission had not approved the degrees of some online universities operating in the country.

    Rasheed added that the commission had approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to shut down some illegal universities operating in Nigeria.

    “NUC and NYSC must work together to help the country in producing quality graduates. The NUC will continue to certify the credibility of certificates obtained from Nigerian universities,” he said.

    The NYSC DG said the scheme will not issue Certificate of National Service to unqualified graduates.

  • ‘Corps members no longer have lectures under trees in Anambra’

    The Anambra State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Kehinde Aremu, has said corps members in the state no longer have their lectures in the open during their orientation course.

    Aremu spoke yesterday while addressing reporters at the closing ceremony of this year’s Batch “B” Stream I orientation course at its temporary site in the state.

    The coordinator had earlier identified lack of lecture halls as one of the major challenges facing the camp, a facility he described as critical requirement in the camp.

    He expressed joy that the challenge had been taken care of with the provision of make-shift tents.

    Read Also: 34 corps members rescind relocation from Anambra

    Aremu said: “We no longer hold lectures in the open. We’ve constructed tents, which now serve as lecture halls.

    “We had a very beautiful time for the very first time, like never before, in the history of Anambra camp. We had lectures in a relaxing atmosphere.”

    On the N10 million promised by the state government to augment feeding in camp, Aremu said they were yet to receive the money in cash.

    He said the management sourced for fund on the directive of the Board Chairman to ensure governor’s promise was kept as well as guarantee quality meal for the corps members.

    “We’ve sourced for money so that these set of corps members on camp still enjoy the benefits of better meal than what is obtainable in other states,” he added.

    Governor Willie Obiano restated the state’s plans of an upward review of the monthly allowance to corps members posted to hard-to-reach parts of the state.

    Speaking through the Commissioner for Youth Empowerment and Creative Economy, Afam Mbanefo, Obiano also directed corps members employers not to reject any corps member posted to them at state and local government levels.

    He admonished the corps members to quickly settle down at their areas of assignment and get integrated with their host communities.

    While urging council chairmen to provide corps members with conducive atmosphere to facilitate their integration process, Obiano also enjoined them to support the NYSC members throughout their service year.

  • No riot by corps members at Lagos orientation camp- NYSC

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos State, on Monday said there was no riot by corps members at its orientation camp in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos on Sunday.

    Mrs Joyce Madaki, NYSC Public Relations Officer, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, made the declaration while reacting to the report of alleged riot at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana-Ipaja, on Sunday.

    Madaki described the report as “false and should be disregarded.”

    She explained that the management of NYSC had on July 7 received information about activities of some cult groups on camp and took preventive measures to forestall any attack.

    The NYSC spokesperson said the state coordinator, Mr Sunday Aroni, had on Sunday morning briefed the corps members and business owners operating in the camp market of the security threat.

    She said the camp market was then closed at 8:30p.m as against the usual 10:00p.m on Sunday.

    “Today, our attention was drawn to a report on the social media that there was riot at Lagos NYSC camp on Sunday, because the camp director reduced the time for light-out from 10:00p.m to 8:30 pm.

    Read also: Treat NYSC members as employees, FCT Perm. Sec. urges employers

    “The corps review the time for light-out yesterday, Sunday based on security report we received that cults were having a programme.

    “We acted accordingly so that the corps members can go to bed early enough.

    “When the bell was rang for the light-out, some corps members wanted to resist and there was little uproar which was controlled by security men on ground.

    “During the process, there was an incident of a female corps member, who was hit on the forehead by a ceiling fan, while trying to come down from her bed to join others.

    “When we got to the hostel, we saw them trying to take her to the clinic, and we were told that she was hit by a celling fan while trying to come down from her bed.

    “Yes, a lady was injured while trying to get down from her bed, but there were no other casualties as been reported.

    “The NYSC Lagos dismiss any report about a riot on the camp. There was no riot on the camp whatsoever.

    “The problem started because we told them to go to bed earlier than they expected,” she said.

    Madaki said activities on the last night on camp was always very busy, thus the announcement to go to bed early was not welcome by some corps members.

    She said NYSC usually have security officers among corps members for security purposes, saying that the report received would be better managed if the corps members go to bed early.

    “Also, do not forget that the last night on camp is usually a busy night and we don’t want anything to go wrong.

    “We got information that July 7 was World International Axe Day and some groups were planning a meeting, so it was based on that we asked them to go to bed early and the camp market should be closed down at 8:30p.m.

    “Apparently, some of the corps members were not happy with our decision and wanted to resist it, in the process the said corps member was injured on the head,” she said. (NAN)