Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has lamented the dwindling resources to the scheme, over-stretching of orientation camp facilities and failure of state and local governments to meet up with their statutory obligations to the scheme in the face of rising corps population.
Director General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. Suleiman Zakari Kazaure, who disclosed this yesterday in Jos, Plateau State, during the opening ceremony of the 2017 Annual Management Conference, however, said in the midst of these challenges, the scheme has recorded modest achievements in terms of promoting industrial harmony and staff motivation through robust welfare packages and trainings, adding that the scheme has also resuscitated the once moribund NYSC farm settlements in Bauchi, Oyo States and FCT.
He added that in spite of insufficient resources, NYSC has been able to mobilise “backlog of qualified graduates for the national service in 2016 and 2017, and has nearly completed the integrated Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Centre for the North-east and South-west zones in Gombe and Ekiti States respectively.â€
While urging state and local governments to be alive to their responsibilities, Kazaure however commended a few states, including Plateau, that have shown commitment to the successes of the scheme.
Also speaking, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalung, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, commended the Kazaure and his management team for working hard with him to ensure that the entire corps members nationwide are enrolled into the National Health insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The minister, whose birthday coincided with the event, was presented with a birthday cake by the NYSC family. He stated that Nigerians are happy with the rising profile of the NYSC, and have restored confidence in the scheme.
Represented by his Deputy, Professor Sonni Tyoden, Governor Simon Lalong, who expressed delight that the state was given the hosting right for the conference “in spite of the recent the recent security scare in the state,†noted that opportunity of a high level conferences like the present one was useful for evaluating progress and changing approaches when moving forward in a global dispensation.
Corp members that thrilled the audience with beautiful rendition including, music, drama, cultural dance, were given special gifts by the Director General of NYSC.
The theme of the conference was ‘Enhancing the Operation of the NYSC Scheme through Strategic Planning’.
