By Adewale Banjo
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Ondo State Coordinator, Sam Pepple, has called on corps members to develop and transform the rural communities by embarking on projects that meet their immediate needs.
The coordinator made the charge in his address during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Batch ‘B’ (Stream 1) orientation course.
Addressing the corps members, he said they cannot afford to let their predecessors and the nation down, and urged them to rededicate themselves by making the best use of the once in a lifetime opportunity to serve the people and the nation as a whole.
Pepple, who lauded their spirit of hard work, discipline, teamwork and requisite leadership abilities, encouraged them to build an egalitarian society where no one is oppressed.
While admonishing them to internalise the lessons they have learnt within the spell of the orientation, he enjoined them to be at the forefront of the promotion of the nation’s crusade for national orientation and rebirth as enunciated by the president.
The coordinator pleaded with them to acquire, at least, one life skill before the end of their service year, which means they would not only be contributing to the socio-economic development of Ondo State but Nigeria in general.
Speaking on the primary assignment, the NYSC administrator enjoined them to accept their postings in good faith, and craft their names on stones thus contributing their quota with greater skills and efficiency to national development.
He advised them to always obtain permission from the appropriate quarters before they embarked on any journey, and warned that they should not travel at night for any reason.
The NYSC boss thanked camp officials for contributing to the success of the course, and pleaded with them to keep it up in their future endeavours.
The event witnessed the pulling out parade for Wale Oyinloye Owolabi, an assistant director/head, Deployment and Relocation who exited the service, having attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
In the course of the programme, members of the Orientation Broadcasting Service (OBS) donated a wireless microphone to the scheme in Ondo State.
The state coordinator thanked the OBS members and promised to put the microphone to judicious use during subsequent orientation course programmes and other NYSC activities.
Two camp officials who diligently discharged their assignments were given letters of commendation while the overall parade commander was equally recognised for his outstanding performance.