BY JIDE AYOBOLU<\/p>\n
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC),
\nBrigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has said the monthly allowance of corp
\nmembers has been increased to N33,000. Ibrahim revealed this while
\naddressing corps members during a working visit to the NYSC secretariat
\nin Bauchi State. He said the increase is in line with the new minimum
\nwage approved by the federal government. According to a statement
\nreleased on NYSC\u2019s official Facebook page, Ibrahim said provisions for
\nthe new allowance have been made in the 2020 budget and \u201cpayment would
\ncommence as soon as funds are released by the appropriate
\nauthorities\u201d. The statement added: \u201c_IBRAHIM EXPLAINED THAT CONTRARY
\nTO THE VARIOUS AMOUNTS BEING CIRCULATED ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA, THE SUM OF
\nTHIRTY-THREE THOUSAND NAIRA HAD BEEN APPROVED AS THE NEW RATE._ _\u201cHE
\nADVISED THE CORPS MEMBERS TO ALWAYS BE SECURITY CONSCIOUS JUST AS HE
\nWARNED AGAINST RUMOUR-MONGERING AND NEGATIVE USAGE OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA._
\n_\u201cHE ADMONISHED THEM TO AVOID UNAUTHORIZED JOURNEYS AND WHEN
\nAUTHORISED TO TRAVEL, NOT TO DO SO AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE INHERENT
\nDANGER.\u201d_ _IN SEPTEMBER, IBRAHIM HAD HINTED THAT THE MONTHLY ALLOWANCE
\nOF CORPS MEMBERS WOULD BE INCREASED \u201cIMMEDIATELY THE FEDERAL
\nGOVERNMENT STARTS THE PAYMENT OF THE NEW MINIMUM WAGE\u201d_.<\/p>\n
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is an organization set up by the
\nNigerian government to involve the country’s graduates in the
\ndevelopment of the country. There is no military conscription in
\nNigeria, but since 1973 graduates of universities and later polytechnics
\nhave been required to take part in the National Youth Service Corps
\nprogram for one year.<\/p>\n
“Corp” members are posted to cities far from their city of origin. They
\nare expected to mix with people of other tribes, social and family
\nbackgrounds, to learn the culture of the indigenes in the place they are
\nposted to. This action is aimed at bringing about unity in the country
\nand to help youths appreciate other ethnic groups. There is an
\n“orientation” period of approximately three weeks spent in a
\nmilitary-controlled boot “camp” away from family and friends. There is
\nalso a “passing out ceremony” at the end of the year and primary
\nassignment followed by one month of vacation.<\/p>\n
As a developing country, Nigeria is further plagued by the problems
\nattendant upon a condition of underdevelopment, namely; poverty; mass
\nilliteracy, acute shortage of high skilled manpower (coupled with most
\nuneven distribution of the skilled people that are available); woefully
\ninadequate socioeconomic infrastructural facilities; housing;\u00a0 Water and
\nsewage facilities, road, healthcare services, and effective
\ncommunication system. Faced with these almost intractable problems,
\nwhich were further compounded by the burden of reconstruction after the
\ncivil war, the government and people of Nigeria set for the country,
\nfresh goals, and objectives aimed at establishing Nigeria as:<\/p>\n
\u2022A united, strong and self-reliant nation<\/p>\n
\u2022 A great and dynamic economy<\/p>\n
\u2022A land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens<\/p>\n
\u2022The government and people of Nigeria are not aware that sound and
\npatriotic leadership is a precondition for the rapid social and economic
\ndevelopment of the country. As a nation, Nigeria has been less fortunate
\nin the kind of leadership that emerge to govern the affairs of the
\ncountry in the period immediately after independence, a leadership whose
\nachievements notwithstanding, was none the less ill-prepared. and
\ngenerally not properly motivated to tackle the problems of socioeconomic
\nunder development, in the interest of the country as a whole.<\/p>\n
\u2022There is no gainsaying the fact that the future of any country
\ndepends on the youths. The youths of Nigeria acknowledge this fact and
\nhave consistently laid claim to the nation’s leadership.<\/p>\n
\u2022While one may give credence to the saying that leaders are born, not
\nmade, one must also concede to the fact that leadership in a modem
\nsociety requires a certain degree of preparation and orientation before
\nthe assumption of that role.<\/p>\n
\u2022The universities and other institutions of higher learning are
\nnormally expected to be training ground for future leaders, except that,
\nas we are all aware, these institutions are first and foremost committed
\nto the advancement of learning and knowledge, training of people for
\ngood citizenship. Little wonder that the products of these institutions
\nhave been accused of being too elitist in their outlook, of not
\nidentifying with the plight of common man, and of inability to
\nappreciate the predicament of the vast majority of our people who live
\nin the rural areas.<\/p>\n
\u2022 It was the need to look beyond the immediate present and to think of
\nthe future leadership of the country that necessitated the mobilization
\nof certain categories of our youths through the National Youth Service
\nCorps Scheme. This was done with a view to giving them the proper
\nguidance and orientation relevant to the needs of the country. The
\nNational Youth Service Corps Decree No. 24 which has now been repealed
\nand replaced by Decree 51 of 16th June 1993, was then formally
\npromulgated.<\/p>\n
\u2022The purpose of the scheme is primarily to inculcate in Nigerian
\nYouths the spirit of selfless service to the community, and to emphasize
\nthe spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians, irrespective of
\ncultural or social background. The history of our country since
\nindependence has clearly indicated the need for unity amongst all our
\npeople and demonstrated the fact that no cultural or geographical entity
\ncan exist in isolation.<\/p>\n
Nigerian Graduates are ineligible for employment till they have
\ncompleted the mandatory one year service, Graduates who are exempted
\nfrom the service include those above the age of thirty (30) and those
\nwith a physical disability, therefore completing the service year
\nentitles one to employment. During the service year, Corps members have
\nthe opportunity of learning of the cultures of other people an
\nopportunity many Nigerians never get in their lifetime. The program has
\nalso helped in creating entry-level jobs for much Nigerian youth. An
\nNYSC forum dedicated to the NYSC members was built to bridge the gap
\namongst members serving across Nigeria and also an avenue for corpers to
\nshare job information and career resources as well as getting loans from
\nthe National Directorate Of Employment.<\/p>\n
The objectives of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme are clearly
\nspelt out in Decree No.51 of 16th June 1993 as follows to inculcate
\ndiscipline in Nigerian youths by instilling in them a tradition of
\nindustry at work, and of patriotic and loyal service to Nigeria in any
\nsituation they may find themselves. To raise the moral tone of the
\nNigerian youths by giving them the opportunity to learn about higher
\nideals of national achievement, social and cultural improvement To
\ndevelop in the Nigerian youths the attitudes of mind, acquired through
\nshared experience and suitable training. which will make them more
\namenable to mobilization in the national interest To enable Nigerian
\nyouths acquire the spirit of self-reliance by encouraging them to
\ndevelop skills for self-employment To contribute to the accelerated
\ngrowth of the national economy To develop common ties among the Nigerian
\nyouths and promote national unity and integration To remove prejudices,
\neliminate ignorance and confirm at first hand the many similarities
\namong Nigerians of all ethnic groups. To develop a sense of corporate
\nexistence and the common destiny of the people of Nigeria. The equitable
\ndistribution of members of the service corps and the effective
\nutilization of their skills in area of national needs That as far as
\npossible, youths are assigned to jobs in States other than their States
\nof origin That such group of youths assigned to work together is as
\nrepresentative of Nigeria as far as possible That the Nigerian youths
\nare exposed to the modes of living of the people in different parts of
\nNigeria That the Nigerian youths are encouraged to eschew religious
\nintolerance by accommodating religious differences That members of the
\nservice corps are encouraged to seek at the end of their one-year
\nnational service, career employment all over Nigeria, thus promoting the
\nfree movement of labour That employers are induced partly through their
\nexperience with members of the service corps to employ more readily and
\non a permanent basis, qualified Nigerians, irrespective of their States
\nof origin<\/p>\n
The program has been met with serious criticism by a large portion of
\nthe country. The NYSC members have complained of being underpaid, paid
\nlate or not paid at all. Several youths carrying out the NYSC program
\nhave been killed in the regions where they were sent due to religious
\nviolence, ethnic violence or political violence.<\/p>\n
However, the increment the pay package of corp member is a major
\nachievement of the present administration.<\/p>\n
BY JIDE AYOBOLU The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has said the monthly allowance of corp members has been increased to N33,000. Ibrahim…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n