From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General YD Ahmed, has assured corps members of increased monthly allowance as soon as civil servants start receiving the new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
A statement by the Acting Director, Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, disclosed that General Ahmed gave the assurance while addressing corps members at Kebbi State Orientation Camp, Dakingari and Sokoto State Orientation Camp in Wamakko.
The NYSC DG, according to the statement, told the corps members that their selfless and immense contributions to the socio-economic development of the country cannot be under-estimated.
He also implored them to use the opportunity of the service year to develop themselves and plan for greater heights in future, advising them to embrace the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to acquire vocational skills to make them self-reliant.
“At least learn a skill while in camp and after the Orientation Course, you continue with the post-camp training. Try to acquire a skill that would enable you to create jobs and employ others instead of searching for jobs. We have many ex-corps members across the country who are doing well in their different vocations today,” the DG said.
He added that NYSC management has partnered many reliable organisations like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industry, Unity Bank, Access Bank, NNPC Foundation among others, that have been assisting in giving loans and grants to Corps Members.
General Ahmed assured them that; “the scheme would not post any corps member to a place where their safety is not guaranteed, and I advise you to be security conscious at all times.”
While presenting her Camp Situation report to the DG, Kebbi State Coordinator, Mrs Aghata Banki Okolo, said that a total of 1,195 corps members have been registered, comprising 1,077 for Kebbi and 118 dislodged from Zamfara State.
“They are responding positively to all camp activities and instructions. We also have a total number of 240 camp officials that have been applying emotional intelligence in the discharge of their duties,” she added.
Similarly, the NYSC Sokoto State Coordinator, Yakubu Yaro Usman, informed General Ahmed that the corps members have exhibited high sense of discipline and acclimatised to camp environment with adherence to camp regulations.
He added that the corps members population comprised 1,488 members made up of 682 males and 606 females for Sokoto State, with 134 males and 66 females dislodged from Zamfara State.
