The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NYSC

  • Expert advocates military training for youths, scrapping of NYSC

    Expert advocates military training for youths, scrapping of NYSC

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to introduce a two-year compulsory military training programme for Nigerian youths whose ages range between 20 and 30 years, so as to inculcate in them patriotism, leadership skills  and curb the anti-social challenges facing the nation.

    An educationist and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Chief Livinus Okwara, who made the call in Lagos, said the training programme would involve graduates of the nation’s tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, who would be paid stipends during the duration of their stewardships.

    He said in view of the funding and other operational challenges currently facing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, the (NYSC) programme should be phased out and replaced with the compulsory military training programme.

    He said: “NYSC has lost its value. It has also deviated from its vision of uniting the country and imbibing leadership skills in the participants.

    “Some participants are used as office boys and girls and other menial jobs by employers of labour, most of whom do not even care about their welfare, to say the least.”

    He regretted that insecurity, as well as insurgency in parts of Nigeria, including the dreaded Boko Haram in the North East, Niger Delta militants, kidnappings and armed robbery attacks had overstretched the country’s armed forces, including the military and the police, adding that graduates of the programme could be easily mobilized as a counterforce to check any such challenges from escalating and impacting the country negatively.

    Chief Okwara, who is also the chairman of Rimax Institute, said that the programme, which is also being operated in the United States of America and Europe, would inculcate in our youths, patriotism, inspirations for personal and national development; discipline and leadership skills.

  • Group sues NYSC over ‘call-up letter fees’

    Group sues NYSC over ‘call-up letter fees’

    A group, Citizens Advocacy Initiative for Accountability Leadership (CAIFAL), has sued the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Federal High Court in Lagos for charging a mandatory N3,000  call-up letter fee from prospective Youth Corps members, contrary to its enabling law.

    The group said NYSC officials, in partnership with a private company, charged the fee as a condition to print out call-up letters before mobilisation.

    They urged the Federal Government to make the fight against corruption all inclusive by investigating what they called violation of the NYSC Act.

    At a briefing in Lagos, the group said the suit is to get a court pronouncement halting the alleged ‘illegality’.

    According to the plaintiffs, asking prospective corps members who are obligated to serve to pay the mandatory fee is fraudulent, illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional.

    The plaintiffs want the court to order NYSC to account for the monies so far realised from the previous collections, and that the perpetrators should be punished according to the Law.

    “The perpetrators of these fraudulent charges have claimed that the fees collecting project was a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. The question is: does that confer the right on them to abuse their offices and violate the Law setting up the NYSC, and even the Constitution?” the group querried.

    According to them, NYSC claimed to have entered into a Public Private Partnership arrangement that gave the company 70 per cent the proceeds, while the balance goes to the NYSC.

    “Our investigation revealed that the Finance Department of the NYSC has vehemently denied the illegal collection of those fees and claimed ignorance of where the money so far realised was kept or how it was expended.

    “This NYSC fraud is worse than the similar alleged scam cases currently been prosecuted by the ‘new’ EFCC. The service provider, Sidmach, claimed that only N1.3 billion has so far been realised from the fees so far collected.

    “The NYSC declared that it mobilised between 300,000 and 350,000 Corps members per year, which amounts to 700,000 for 2014-2015 batch, so, if the 2016 batch A is added thereto, that is about 800,000 to 900,000 Mobilised Corps Members, multiplied by N3,000 paid by each participant, we have about N2.4 billion. Where is the money?

    “The N1,000 re-deployment fees collected from any of the mobilised corps member, who want to be re-deployed, was not been taken into consideration when we arrived at the N2. 4 billion stated above,” they said.

    At the briefing were the group’s board of trustees’ chairman Dania Abdullahi, executive directors  Mudasiru Lawal and Tunde Atobatele, board members Segun Adeleye and Ishiak Akande, a lawyer Mike Ogie and a member Miss Precious Ekwo.

  • “Be good ambassadors of NYSC”

    The Director-General of the National Youth Service Commis-sion(NYSC)Brig Gen Sule Kazaure has urged the 2016 youth corps deployed to Ondo State for  orientation course to be dedicated to the national assignment.

    He spoke  at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Ikare-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko Northeast local government.

    According to him, the exercise required commitment and dedication aimed at serving one’s country for its betterment and upliftment.

    He urged them to have endurance in spite of the present economic situation, saying “you should endeavour to contribute your quota to the development of the nation.’

    The DG promised to give priority to the welfare of the youth corp members calling on them to foster unity and integration in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

    Ondo State coordinator of the NYSC, Mr James Olubodi, had earlier briefed the DG on various activities in the orientation camp and some of its challenges.

    According to him, the challenges are hotel accommodation , total renovation of the camp, utility vehicles for easy mobility, renovation of perimeter fencing to prevent intruders from gaining entry into the camp premises.

    He therefore solicited for support and assistance of the National Headquarters of the Commission.

    Gen Kazaure and his entourage were later entertained by the NYSC Cultural Troupe after visiting some vital areas in the orientation camp.

  • ‘Cultists’ kill NYSC member in Bayelsa

    A Suspected cultists at the weekend killed a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, James Onuh, at Obele, a suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    The incident caused panic among the residents.

    The late Onuh, a graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture in Markurdi, the Benue State capital, was said to be attached to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Works for his primary assignment.

    Official sources at the NYSC gave his name as James Onuh.

    Confirming the development, police spokesman Asimin Butswat, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the late Onuh was shot and was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.

    Butswat said: “We are trailing the suspects and investigations are ongoing.”

  • Who needs a dysfunctional NYSC?

    SIR; The NYSC scheme is fast losing its golden values. Nigeria now produces triple number of graduates it used to produce in the 70s and 80s. She has insufficient funds to sustain the scheme. Owing to the mass production of graduates, NYSC started mobilizing in three batches. Recently, tough conditions made it mobilize in two batches with each batch broken into two streams. This means four batches all together if we don’t succumb to the invitation for words play of ‘batch’ and ‘stream’. All these are products of the NYSC’s incapacity to accommodate the influx of graduates at a go.

    This year, the scheme is being ridiculed by the prospective corps members (PCM) following its failure to execute matters according to its timetable. It earned a profile of contempt as an institution by shifting mobilization dates more than thrice for the 2016 NYSC Batch A Stream II corps members thus frustrating them. In Nigeria, you must get frustrated before you buy fuel, before you enjoy your paid electricity, before you get a decent health care and now, before you serve Nigeria! What have we become?

    Keeping fresh graduates for several months before calling them up for NYSC is short term direct recruitment to our army of unemployed graduates. The graduates sit on the fence; they are neither students who look up to a guardian for financial care, nor are they workers who earn a salary for upkeep. Therefore, it is not surprising that we often see in the news graduates of universities involved in robbery, kidnappings and 419. Indulgence in crime is not a safe way out or an excuse, but what alternative do they have? The long waiting period increases Nigeria’s crime rate.

    The ‘chicken-change’ N19, 800 paid to corps members monthly is unreasonable. How would such an amount feed a serving corps member in Port Harcourt? How about the transport fare the corps member in Lagos who spends N800 daily? Can N19, 800 get a decent accommodation for the corps member posted to Abuja? I agree the NYSC is all about service and sacrifice, but who can really serve Nigeria well when he is starving? Hunger and discomfort are not prerequisite to patriotism. If they are, then all Nigerian leaders across the three arms of government are not patriotic.

    We post graduates along geo-political zones not minding their personal security. In the event of violence, mobs attack these corps members in the name of ‘government property’. The 2011 general elections where corps members were attacked, injured and even killed in cold blood by mobs in Bauchi, Enugu and Cross Rivers States comes to mind. The Rivers State election tagged saw graduates suffering just because they earned a degree. We make parents shed tears. We destroy their moral, financial, emotional and mental investments with NYSC. Nigeria didn’t educate their children. Why should Nigeria send their children to death row?

    NYSC has served Nigeria well. It has grown senile. We should retire it before it sends us up a creek without a paddle.

     

    • Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel

    Zaria, Kaduna State.

  • Govt releases funds for NYSC camping

    Govt releases funds for NYSC camping

    The Federal Government yesterday ordered the release of funds for the mobilisation of the 2016 Batch A stream II of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    This followed an outcry by the Director-General, Brigadier-General Sule Kazaure that lack of funds may stall the exercise.

    Kazaure on Monday told the Senate Committee on Youth and Sport that the affected persons would remain in their homes due to non-availability of fund arising from the N13 billion shortfall in the scheme’s 2016 allocation.

    But the NYSC in a statement signed by the Director, Public Relations Abosede Aderibigbe, praised the Federal Government for its prompt intervention, approval and release of funds to accommodate the 2016 Batch A stream II orientation course.

    “Management is also informing and assuring prospective corps members, parents, guardians and the public that the 2016 Batch A stream II orientation course holds from Saturday, May 21 to Monday, June 6, while the swearing-in will hold on Monday, May 23.

    “Prospective corps members are by this notice directed to print their call-up letters online or collect from their institutions of graduation,” the statement said.

  • NYSC may shelve mobilisation of corps members

    NYSC may shelve mobilisation of corps members

    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.”

     

  • Paucity of fund: NYSC may shelve corps members’ mobilization

    Acute cash crunch affecting the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) may force it to shelve mobilization of corps members on Friday, the Director General of the organization, Brig. Gen. Sulyman Kazaure, said on Monday.

    Gen. Kazaure told a Senate Committee that thousands of prospective corps members slated for mobilization on Friday may not be called up due to non availability of fund arising from N13billion shortfall in the NYSC 2016 budget.

    He said the affected prospective corps members are those in Batch A stream 2, scheduled for mobilization into the 37 orientation camps across the country.

    The NYSC chief said as at Monday, funds required for the exercise have not been provided by the Federal Government.

    He said letters written to the federal government for release of 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, Ministry of Budget and National Planning and the Presidency before the expiration of orientation camp for Batch A stream one Corps members without any favourable response till date.

     

  • Ikpeazu’s wife donates to NYSC

    Ikpeazu’s wife donates to NYSC

    The wife of Abia State governor Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has donated food items to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state, hailing the corps for providing good orientation for young graduates.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu made the donation in her office in response to an SOS from the state coordinator of the NYSC who told her there was no food in its camp to feed the Batch A 2016 members coming in for orientation.

    The items donated by Mrs. Ikpeazu included bags of rice, tubers of yam, cartons of noodles and toiletries, among others.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu assured the NYSC of her support, adding that as leaders of tomorrow, the youths deserve adequate attention. She urged the coordinator to ensure the safety of the corps members.

    The state coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Franca Ifon, thanked her for her generosity, and her husband for approving the rehabilitation of the state NYSC camp.

    Ifon called on public-spirited people to emulate Mrs Ikpeazu’s gesture.

    She said, “I want to thank the wife of the governor, Mrs Ikpeazu, for the food items she donated to us which will go a long way to ensure that the corps members are well fed.

    The governor’s wife gave us foodstuff like yams, rice, tomatoes, noodles among others including toilet rolls and sanitary pads for the female corps members, which will make the stay of the corps members comfortable in the state camp.”

    Ifon also thanked Governor Ikpeazu for his love for the state chapter of the NYSC, saying, “The governor has been very magnanimous towards corps members in the state since he assumed office”.

    She called on employers of labour in the state and those who are in need of the services of corps members to submit their requests for corps members at the NYSC secretariat in Umuahia for processing.

  • NYSC to deploy doctors, pharmacists, others to IDPs camps

    NYSC to deploy doctors, pharmacists, others to IDPs camps

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is to deploy medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical professionals to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps nationwide.

    The Director General of NYSC, Brig-Gen. Sule Kazaure, made this known Thursday while flagging-off the NYSC intervention programme at Damare IDPs camp in Yola.

    Kazaure said that the deployment of NYSC to the camps was part of the scheme’s contribution to government’s efforts in assisting the IDPs.

    “This programme, which is designed to bring succour to the inmates in this centre, is also intended to compliment government’s efforts towards provision of the welfare needs of members of IDPs nationwide.

    “The scheme, therefore, will deploy the services of corps professionals such as medical doctors, nurses, pharmacist, etc to the centre to assist Federal Government in the provision of medical and other sundry needs of the IDPs.

    “Specifically corps members will be participating in medical outreaches, environmental sanitation, educational intervention and general awareness creation on healthy living,” he said.

    Kazaure also said that the scheme would use the opportunity provided by the programme to distribute food items and other materials to the IDPs.

    He said that the flag-off of the intervention programme was his major official assignment outside Abuja and this was an indication of the importance the NYSC attached to the plight of the IDPs.

    Kazaure urged other wealthy Nigerians and corporate organisations to assist government in rehabilitating IDPs in the country.

    He commended the military, NEMA, Red Cross, NGOs and various faith based organisations for their contributions to welfare of IDPs.

    “I want to thank you all, especially, the corps members who despite all odds are currently serving in the state,” Kazaure said.

    The leader of IDPs in Damare camp, Mallam Modu Gana, lauded the intervention programme of the NYSC which he said was timely.

    Gov. Muhammadu Jibrilla of Adamawa and the State Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Sa’ad Bello, also lauded NYSC for the gesture, which they said, reflected one of the objectives of the scheme.