The NYSC Batch B Corps Members posted to Ebonyi were inducted on Thursday at the Orientation camp in Afikpo.
Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Charles Akpuenika represented Governor Umahi at the event.
Apart from the usual slow and quick match by the corps members, there were also thug of war, taekwondo and cultural displays to add colour to the event
The National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ) will soon launch a job portal that would help employers find corps members with requisite skills and qualifications that match their needs.
The Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Prince Mohammed Momoh told The Nation in an interview yesterday at the Swearing in of 2,482 Batch B corps members that the portal had been approved by the NYSC Director-General, Brig-Gen Sule Kazaure, after a test run.
“We piloted a job portal in Lagos. After perfecting it, we have deployed it. It has been approved by the DG ansd should be launched in the course of the year,” he said.
Momoh thanked the Lagos State government for renovating the 2,500-bed capacity orientation camp located in Iyana- Ipaja, Lagos.
“We appealed to the Governor and he came to our aid. He mobilised a contractor to give us this renovation.
He not only re-painted the building but repaired the toilets and the electrification. Every part of the camp was touched,” he said.
In his speech, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr Oluseye Oladejo, counseled the new corps members to take advantage of public funds to start businesses after being trained in camp.
“I enjoin you to pay special attention to the Skill Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative which is part of activities developed to empower and prepare you for life after service.
The Lagos State Government has established the Employment Trust Fund which provides financial support to Lagos State residents and National Youth Service Corps members serving in Lagos State and who have received camp and post-camp SAED training.
Through this fund, you stand to benefit from a start-up capital to ensure you become job creators and not job seekers upon the completion of your national assignment,” he said.
The oath of allegiance was administered on the corps members by the Chief Judge of Lagos, justice Opeyemi Oke represented by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.
Corps members who spoke with The Nation praised the facilities on the camp.
Jennifer Okpala, a Law graduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said she was enjoying her time on camp.
“It has been fun meeting lots of people. The facilities are okay. I will say this is the best camp in Nigeria,” she said.
Jesufemi Ayodele, another Law graduate from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said the officials were courteous to corps members.
“They treat us with respect,” he said.
Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has called on all stakeholders to support the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme to ensure the realisation of its objectives for national development.
Dankwambo made the call at the swearing-in ceremony of 2017 batch ‘B’ stream one orientation course at temporary orientation camp, Amada in Akko Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.
He said the scheme has assisted greatly in moulding the nation into a united entity for rapid socio-economic development.
According to him, the scheme has done so much toward eliminating ethnic bigotry, sectionalism and tribalism.
He commended the effort of the Federal Government and the management of NYSC for sustaining the programme.
Dankwambo assured the corps members posted to the state of their safety, welfare and wellbeing during their stay in the state.
He urged them to participate fully in all the activities as a way of contributing to the development of state and the country at large.
Mr David Markson, NYSC State Coordinator said they were able to register a total of 1, 514 corps members comprising 767 males and 747 females.
He urged them to be of good behaviour and shun all forms of evil acts for a successful service year stressing any person caught would be punished in accordance to the provision of NYSC byelaw.
He called on the corps members to uphold the core values of the NYSC by putting the nation first in all what they do.
Alhaji Adamu Abubkar, Head of Service, Gombe State and the NYSC governing board chairman advised the crops members to take Skill Acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes serious irrespective of their academic discipline.
He said that these would help them to be self-reliant during and after the service year.
Abubakar appealed to camp officials to see the corps members as their brothers and sisters by giving them listening ears and accord them the necessary assistance when the need arises.
NAN
Following the state government’s failure to provide water for their daily use, the management of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in Gombe state is to spend about N1.7million naira to provide water to Corps members all through the orientation camp period.
Coordinator of NYSC in the state, David Pwanidi Markson disclosed this during the official opening of the 2017 Batch ‘B’ stream 1 Corps Members deployed to Gombe state on Thursday at the NYSC orientation.
“The greatest challenge we have here is water, water supply. I learnt that in the past, they tried to sink a borehole here, but it was not possible because the low water level is too low.
“So as of now, every day we buy eight tankers of water. They come into the camp to supply water,” he explained.
He further added that the eight tankers of water satisfied their daily use but normally augment from the reservoir dedicated to the kitchen in the event of inadequacy.
He said they also spend money on diesel daily to run their generators anytime there is programme, but that the Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) Company had promised to fix the problem later on Thursday.
On the problem at the Camp Clinic, Markson said a consultant had been invited from the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) to the clinic where minor cases are handled and the major ones referred to the FTH since NYSC in Gombe state has a partnership with them.
He nevertheless urged the Corps Members to bear the three-week orientation exercise and not to expect the luxuries of their homes at the camp.
Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo who was represented by his deputy, Chrales Ya’u Iliya to strive to be shining examples as ambassadors of their various homes, institutions and states of origin.
He also urged them to feel free and interact freely with the people as Gombe state is ready to provide for them a home away from home.
The Rivers Government has commenced the construction of new facilities for the welfare of corps members and officials at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area.
Mr Sunday Aroni, Rivers Coordinator of NYSC, disclosed this on Thursday during the swearing-in-ceremony of the 2017 Batch ‘B’ Stream corps members at the orientation camp.
Aroni said the facilities included four blocks of hostel for corps members and three units of four-bedroom apartments for camp officials, a new kitchen and a multipurpose hall being expanded.
‘‘All these are meant to improve on the welfare of corps members and camp officials on camp, and interestingly, these projects which started two weeks ago, are already at advanced stages,’’ he said.
The coordinator commended Gov. Nyesom Wike and the state government for the kindness and generosity to the scheme.
He also congratulated the governor on his award of ‘‘Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution’’ in New York, U.S.
Aroni said that a total of 2,502 corps members had been registered and ready to be sworn-in for national service in the state.
Alhaji Musa Abubakar, Sokoto State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corp ( NYSC ), on Tuesday said 2,400 corps members were posted to the state for the 2017 batch B stream 1 service year.
Abubakar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto that registration and other preliminary activities for the corps members had commenced at Wamakko Orientation camp.
He said that the Governor of the State, Aminu Tambuwal, would declare the orientation open on Thursday.
Abubakar said that routine physical, moral and educative activities were lined up for the prospective corps members.
The coordinator said that the exercise would prepare them for future challenges in accordance with government’s intention to inculcate moral discipline and foster unity along ethnic and religious lines.
He enjoined government and other organisation accepting corps members for their primary assignments to improve on their accommodation and reception of the members as well as their interaction with them.
Abubakar said NYSC members would be in the state to understand cultural values, have knowledge of environment different from theirs, so as to inculcate in them sense of patriotism toward national development.
The Director-General of National Youths Service Corps,Brig.-Gen. Sulaiman Kazaure, has commended the Kogi Government for renovating the NYSC orientation camp, Kabba in the state.
Kazaure gave the commendation when he paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Youths and Sports, Mr Arome Adoji, in Lokoja on Monday.
He said the renovation had proved the commitment of the government toward enhancing NYSC scheme, especially with the increased population of corps members in the state.
Kazaure, represented by the State Coordinator, Mrs Oludolapo Ahile, also commended the state government for providing adequate security and welfare to serving corps members in the state.
Responding, Adoji who is also the State Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, thanked the director-general for the visit.
He described Gov. Yahaya Bello “as a youth friendly leader’’, who had always show interest in the scheme since he assumed duty in 2016’’.
The Jigawa Sports Council says it organised inter-local government basketball competition to promote unity and sportsmanship among the teeming youths in the state.
Director of the council, Gambo Labbo in Dutse on Sunday said that preliminaries in five zones were currently going on among the 27 local government areas of the state.
He said two teams were drawn from each local government after which winners would compete for trophies and different cash prizes.
He added that “after the zonal elimination, we expect 10 teams to come to sports complex in Dutse to compete for three trophies and cash prizes.
“They would be camped at the NYSC orientation camp; we have provided adequate security for their safety and vehicles for transportation from the camp to the venue throughout the competition period.
“The competition is expected to promote unity and sportsmanship among youths in the state.”
The director explained that the competition was part of the council’s efforts in promoting sports development at the grassroots.
According to him, the gesture will also lead to discovery of new talents.
“Usually, competitions organised from the grassroots snowball into discovery of talents.
“This is because competitions are the main avenues through which young and new talents can be discovered.”
Labbo further pointed out that corporate bodies and other wealthy individuals had a role to play to ensure the discovery of talents through funding and sponsorship of competitions.
He, therefore, urged them to invest in sporting activities to make it attractive to youths, particularly in rural areas.
The director noted that engaging youths in sporting activities would enable the state and the nation to provide platform for their empowerment.
He said “government alone cannot achieve success in the development of sports without the support of all and sundry.
“Wealthy individuals, banks, construction companies, among others, should invest in sporting activities, particularly at the grassroot.
“They should not leave sports development in the hands of the state governments; they should complement government’s efforts.
“This, I am sure, will provide platform for grooming young players to compete anywhere in the world,” he emphasized.
NAN
The National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ) on Thursday in Benin commenced the process of biometric clearance for corps members in the South-South zone.
The Director-General of the Corps, Brig.-Gen. Sule Kazaure, said in Benin at a workshop to facilitate the exercise, that the innovation was in line with the determination of management of the Corps to ensure accountability in corps members’ activities, especially in local government areas, using the ICT.
The three-day workshop, has as its theme: ” Ensuring Accountability of Corps Members Activities in Local Government Areas Using ICT” .
Represented by NYSC Director in charge of ICT, Mrs Christy Uba, Kazaure hoped that participants would take advantage of the workshop to gain the requisite knowledge in biometric clearance of corps members.
He said that the Corps’ migration from the manual system of mobilisation, deployment, registration and relocation of corps members to an ICT- based process in 2014, was to ensure the corps’ seamless operations in line with prevailing trends.
He disclosed that at the end of the workshop, all activities ranging from clearance of corps members, the weekly Community Development Service (CDS) and monthly clearance would be done using the biometrics.
The director-general charged corps members to avail themselves with the biometric clearance, warning that whoever was not captured would not be cleared for the payment of the monthly allowances.
” Information generated through the biometric clearance exercise will be used to determine disciplinary cases.
“Corps members on approved leave are to be duly considered and cleared,” he said.
Kazaure also said that the process would assist the management to enthrone transparency in its operational system.
He urged participants to shun any acts inimical to the success of the innovation.
The NYSC director ICT, Christy Uba, whose address was read by Mr Dauda Bamaiyai, Deputy Director, ICT, said that ICT was a global phenomenon which ought to be embraced by all.
She said that the NYSC would continue to be a seeding ground for digital innovation, adding that since the introduction of the Corps’ Online Integrated System in 2014, the project had been meeting every aspect of the Corps’ operations.
She stressed that the innovation was a classical module of the NYSC integrated system designed to enhance adequate monitoring and monthly clearance of corps members including CDS at their various places of primary assignments.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that similar workshops have been organised in Katsina, Ibadan, Enugu and Minna by the Corps.
Confusion has hit members of the National Youths Service Corps across following a system failure in the payment system, which gifted multiple allowance payments to hundreds of members while depriving others of theirs’.
Checks by our reporter revealed that some Corp members who started receiving their monthly stipends were surprised when they got multiple credit alerts – some up to four times -for October payment.
For instance, it was learnt that some of those those who passed out last Thursday, November 2, got as much as N164,000 instead of the usual N41,000, while others who are still serving received as much as N79,200, instead of 19,800.
Conversely sources from NYSC office across the country told our reporter that a good number of Corp members have been waiting in vain for their allowances.
“I usually get my allowance through a new generation bank. We were told to expect payment of our allowances before our POP (passing out parade) but we did not get it.
“But on Monday evening I received a credit alert from my bank for payment. It was for N41,000. As I was rejoicing over the payment another one came in,” a source who asked not to be named told our reporter.
The source would later get two more alerts which swelled his account by N164,000.
Meanwhile, the same former corps member’s fiancée who served in Owo, Ondo state, was yet to receive hers, 48hours later, at the time of this report on Wednesday afternoon.
Although the NYSC was yet to make a statement on the development, a letter allegedly sent my an official of one of the affected banks on Tuesday night appealed to beneficiaries of the ‘largesse’ to return the excess payment.
The letter read: “As you may have noticed Due to a little hitch and technical error of our automated FTDS (fund transfer and dispensing system), some Corper were paid twice and others even up to x4 of usual 19,800 monthly allowee. While others haven’t received.
“Please Nysc is a scheme that test not just your academic qualification but also a test of your character, so we want to use this medium to appeal yo those that were paid allowee twice or thrice to please return the excess so we can pay those that didnt receive, pls let’s be our brothers keepers.
“We at the bank we are still trying to collate the names of the corpers who were paid more than once so we can trace ther files at the headoffice., and see their house address to retrieve the excess money back. Please be patient as we await approval from our GMD so we can kickstart the process,” the alleged letter concluded.
Meanwhile, independent investigation by The Nation revealed that those who got multiple payments are in dilemma about what to do.
“Should I give it back or enjoy this little piece of my share of the national cake?” One of them said in a chat with our reporter.