The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NYSC

  • Cash paucity: States’ support to NYSC decreasing, says D-G

    Cash paucity: States’ support to NYSC decreasing, says D-G

    Some state governments’ financial support to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has dwindled due to the prevailing paucity of funds in the country, its Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, has said.

    Brig.-Gen. Olawumi spoke when he visited the Commander of 22 Armoured Brigade Brig-Gen. Ali Nani and Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Education (NASE), Brig-Gen. Lawal Abdullahi, in Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Kwara State.

    He said he was at the barracks to look at the facilities, which NYSC planned to use for its promotion examinations and interviews, which took place yesterday.

    The director-general said: “It is true that subventions or support from state governments to the scheme has been dwindling in the past few years. I do not want us to put the blame on any governor. We know that in the country, there are so many things competing for attention. Is it education, health, agriculture? So many things are competing for attention.

    “So, if we are not getting support like we used to get in those days, it is not that they are not happy with the scheme. All the governors that I have interacted with are happy with what the scheme is doing, but I think it is an issue of paucity of funds.

    “Even at that, we must commend them for what they are doing. As you are complaining of no fund, some of them are building new camps, uplifting existing ones and improving remuneration to corps members.

    “Having said that, we should not blame those who are not doing that. We know what issue of funding is in Nigeria. But let me seize this opportunity to call on those governors that we are still counting on their support.

    “These are their children. These children they can use them well in all areas of agriculture, health, education and infrastructure development. They should take advantage of that. Once funds improve, let them do more.”

     

  • NYSC introduces ‘self-deployment scheme’ for corps members

    NYSC introduces ‘self-deployment scheme’ for corps members

    Under a new arrangement, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will henceforth allow prospective corps members to determine where they wish to serve.

    The plan known as “self-deployment scheme”, according to the NYSC, is expected to curb fraud, which it said, was often associated with the earlier method of deployment of prospective corps members.

    The development was part of resolutions from a workshop on NYSC 2015 Batch ‘B’ pre-mobilisation in Kaduna.

    In a communique at the end of the workshop yesterday, the NYSC said: “In a bid to tackle the problem of deluge of concessional requests with which the NYSC is being inundated, prospective corps members will henceforth be given the opportunity to choose states of their choice outside their socio-cultural and  linguistic areas, using ICT solution.

    “Given the negative implications of assigning invalid or wrong JAMB numbers to prospective corps members during the mobilisation process, corps producing institutions have been advised to always take advantage of the window of opportunity created by Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and regularise the admission of their graduates and advise the affected graduates to activate such numbers before presenting them for mobilisation.

    “For us to bring administration nearer to everybody, complaints and issues arising from the on-line registration from prospective corps members and corps producing institutions will henceforth be lodged with Deployment and Relocation Officers at the NYSC state secretariats for onward transmission to the ICT Department for necessary action.

    “It was further resolved that pregnant women and nursing mothers and students engaged in postgraduate studies should not bother to enlist for service until they are free to participate effectively.”

    Participants at the workshop included directors and heads of units at the NYSC, representatives from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), JAMB, Nigerian Army, universities, polytechnics, monotechnics as well as  colleges of education.”

  • NYSC introduces self-deployment scheme

    NYSC introduces self-deployment scheme

    National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has introduced a self-deployment scheme.

    Under the new arrangement, prospective corps members can now determine where they wish to serve.

    The move, according to the NYSC, is expected to curb fraud which it said is often associated with the earlier method prospective corps members’ deployment.

    The development is part of resolutions taken at the NYSC 2015 Batch ‘B’ pre-mobilisation workshop held in Kaduna.

    In a communiqué released at the end of the workshop on Thursday, the NYSC said “in a bid to tackle the deluge of concessional requests with which the NYSC is being inundated, prospective corps members will henceforth be given the opportunity to choose states of their choice outside their socio-cultural and  linguistic areas, using ICT solution.

    “Given the negative implications of assigning invalid or wrong JAMB numbers to prospective corps members during the mobilisation process, corps producing institutions have been advised to always take advantage of the window of opportunity created by JAMB and regularise the admission of their graduates and advise the affected graduates to activate such numbers before presenting them for mobilisation.

    “For us to bring administration nearer to everybody, complaints and issues arising from the online registration from prospective corps members and corps producing institutions will henceforth be lodged with the Deployment and Relocation officers at the NYSC state secretariats for onward transmission to the ICT department for necessary action.

    “It was further resolved that pregnant women, nursing mothers and students engaged in postgraduate studies should not bother to enlist for service until they are free to participate effectively.”

     

     

  • NIJ calls for admission

    NIJ calls for admission

    The Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) has invited candidates for admission into the institution.

    In an advert signed by the Registrar, Dotun Adenijo the following programmes are available: Full time and Part time National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) for the 2015/2016 academic sessions.

    For the National Diploma in Mass Communication programme, candidates must have a minimum of five credits including English Language and Mathematics at not more than two sittings.

    The advert further stated that candidates seeking admissions into Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication must have a National Diploma in mass communication from a recognized institution with at least lower credit and one year post ND industrial attachment experience.

    It added that candidates for Post-Graduate Diploma in Print, Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations/ Advertising must have a good HND or University degree in any discipline.  An evidence of participation or exemption from NYSC is also compulsory.

    According to the statement applicants are expected to obtain a bank draft for the sum of N3, 550 for ND,  N5, 050 for HND and N7, 050 for PGD at Eco Bank, Wema Bank or Aso Savings and Loans branches nationwide.

    Payments can also be made into the school account number 0042006463 in Eco bank and 012075045 in Wema bank. The Bank draft or payment teller should be presented to the registry department of the institution after which an application form would be given to the student.

    The application forms should however be sent on or before Friday the 31st of July 2015.

  • First Class graduates to serve in higher institutions, says NYSC

    First Class graduates to serve in higher institutions, says NYSC

    Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi has said First Class graduates and their counterparts, who graduated with distinction from the polytechnics, will now be posted only to tertiary institutions for their primary assignment.

    He said universities have been banned from offering post-graduate admission to serving corps members, as doing so have been in violation of the NYSC Act.

    Brig-Gen. Johnson spoke in Kaduna yesterday at the opening ceremony of 2015 Batch ‘B’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop.

    Addressing participants of the workshop, tagged, “ICT and NYSC Mobilization Process: Towards Eliminating Identified Challenges”, the NYSC boss emphasised that henceforth, “all First Class graduates will be posted to the universities for their primary assignments” and appealed to the Vice-Chancellors to retain them after their NYSC programme.

    NYSC’s Director of Corps Mobilisation Mr. Anthony Ani said the workshop would “look at the data entry used for the exercise for the Senate Approved list, the list of Approved Corps Producing Institutions and the list of accredited courses”.

    Brig-Gen. Olawumi, who enumerated his reform programmes aimed at improving service delivery and efficiency by the NYSC, stated thaat, if fully implemented, the scheme would add value to young Nigerian graduates.

    Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai,  who was represented by  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe Musa, applauded the decision of NYSC to post First Class graduate corps members to tertiary institutions, adding that with the paucity of lecturers in such institutions, it was an encouraging decision of the NYSC to do so.

  • First class graduates to serve in tertiary institutions -NYSC

    The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Johnson Olawunmi, has said prospective corps members with first class degree and their counterparts, who graduated with distinction from the polytechnics, would henceforth be posted to tertiary institutions for their primary assignment.

    The NYSC chief disclosed this in Kaduna on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of 2015 Batch ‘B’ Pre-Mobilization Workshop.

    The Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mr. Anthony Ani, also explained that workshop would critically “look at the data entry used for the exercise for the Senate approved list, the list of approved corps producing institutions and the list of accredited courses.”

    Olawunmi, who enumerated his reform programmes aimed at improving service delivery and efficiency in the NYSC, said if fully implemented, the NYSC programme would go through a seamless process and add value to young Nigerian graduates.

    He also disclosed that Nigerian universities have been banned from offering post-graduate admission to serving corps members.

     

  • FG urged to make skills acquisition compulsory for NYSC members

    FG urged to make skills acquisition compulsory for NYSC members

    Mrs Pamela Latunji-Bello, the Chief Executive Officer, Spectrum Beauty Academy, Lagos, on Saturday called on the government to make vocational skills acquisition compulsory under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    Latunji-Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that vocational training would equip young graduates to be self- employed instead of depending on elusive white-collar jobs.

    “If the Federal Government should use part of the money paid to NYSC members in training them in the various vocations, it will go a long way in reducing unemployment in the country.

    “Skills acquisition should be mandatory for NYSC members during the one year service; they must learn a trade or the other and use their monthly stipends as training fee.

    “Because the vocations are where the money is,’’ she said.

    The entrepreneur stressed the need for compulsory capacity building for NYSC members “The future of Nigeria lies in the skills of its workforce. “If we do not train them, we are just giving money to people who will probably misuse it.’’

    Latunji-Bello urged the nation’s policy makers to place more emphasis skills acquisition at all levels of the nation’s educational system.

    “Let people stop seeing it as the pet project of wives of state governors that should be done at their spare time.

    “It should be re-integrated into the school curriculum, every university should give it a push. “Every Nigerian graduate should start thinking of having another profession or career,’’ she said.

  • NYSC to MDAs: don’t reject corps members

    NYSC to MDAs: don’t reject corps members

    THE  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) yesterday urged organisations, especially Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to always accept corps members posted to them for primary assignments.

    In a statement in Abuja, the scheme’s director general, Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, said corps members are posted based on their disciplines and within the limits imposed by the NYSC posting policy.

    He told employers that the corps members answered the clarion call to participate in the national service out of patriotism and always looked forward to rendering services for the country’s progress.

    Brig.-Gen. Olawumi said: “In view of the foregoing, all stakeholders, including employers, are requested to always give the young men and women of the scheme the necessary support and encouragement by accepting them whenever posted for primary assignment.

    “It is noteworthy that rejection of corps members posted to organisations, resulting in some of them roaming the streets in search of places of service, is at variance with the ideals of the founding fathers of the NYSC scheme and should therefore be discouraged by all well-meaning Nigerians.

    “On our part, we in the NYSC remain committed to contributing to the socio-economic development of our dear country through harnessing of the potentials of these patriotic youth and will continue to count on the support of all and sundry in that regard.”

     

  • Man, 51, remanded for raping NYSC member to death

    Man, 51, remanded for raping NYSC member to death

    An Ilorin Magistrate Court has remanded a 51 year old man for allegedly raping a youth corps member to death in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    The late youth corps member, Idowu Yetunde Shukurat was a member of the 2014 batch B set in the state.

    She was serving with the state broadcasting corporation (Radio Kwara) Ilorin, before her demise.

    Late Yetunde’s corpse was reportedly found about a month ago around Government Residential Area (GRA) Ilorin.

    The suspected killer of the youth corps member, Abdullahi Tanko and his accomplices now on the run lured the lady from her residence in Saw-Mill area to a shopping mall where she was raped to death.

    The police prosecutor, Inspector Matthew Ologbon told the court that police received a distress call that day to go to Simeon Okedi street in GRA in the metropolis.
    Ologbon said that when police got to the place they found the late corps member on the ground in a pool of her blood.

    The Prosecutor told the court that the suspected killer and his gang had raped the deceased inside their car, which caused her untimely death.

    He added that after they had raped the late corps member at Tanko’s residence at Plot 6, Simion Okedi Upabiasika junction GRA, they dropped her dead body to nearby junction leaving her in a pool of blood.

    The Police prosecutor added that the police located Tanko’s house through the blood stains of the deceased and the suspected killer was arrested.

    The prosecutor added that the mobile phone of the deceased was found with Tanko at the time of his arrest.

    He added that efforts were still going on to arrest Tanko’s fleeing gangs by the police.
    The prosecutor urged the court to remand the suspected killer in prison custody until other suspects were arrested and completion of police investigations.

    Presiding Magistrate, K.A Yahaya therefore ordered that the accused be remanded in Mandala Minimum prison, Ilorin outskirts.

    He adjourned the case till August 10, 2015 for further hearing.

  • Applause for ex-Minority Leader on NYSC Act

    Applause for ex-Minority Leader on NYSC Act

    Erstwhile  House of Representatives Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila drew the admiration of his colleagues on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday when he halted attempt to amend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act without due process.

    Gbajabiamila’s intervention followed the debate of a motion of urgent  public importance by Kingsley Chinda  (PDP, Rivers).

    Chinda regretted that over time, youth corps members have been subjected to undue injuries and the deaths in areas where they were not familiar with around the country.

    He said there was a need to review the terms and conditions under which the corps members served.

    Gbajabiamila raised a point of order after which he congratulated Dogara over his victory as Speaker on Tuesday.

    Members broke into a loud applause in appreciation of his sportsmanship.

    He said the review of terms and conditions can only be carried out as an amendment to the Act that established the institution which the motion was not capable of.

    The intervention led to an amendment to the resolution of the motion which led to the removal of the prayer on the review of the Act.

    Sani Zoro (APC, Jigawa) said there was a need to review all dysfunctional institutions set up by the Federal government to foster unity in the country.

    In their resolution, the lawmakers urged the Police to investigate all killings involving the NYSC members in the country.

    The Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, put the motion to a voice vote and it was unanimously passed.