Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called for the immediate reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to effect an institutionalised Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the management of the service.
Welcoming the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Dogara Ahmed, in his office, Governor Adeleke said the present structure and model of the NYSC was unsustainable considering the prevailing fiscal state of the country.
Calling the NYSC a gemstone for the Nigerian state, the governor appealed for a reform of the service to expand private sector either through review of the enabling act or a federal instrument of reform.
He said: “The present structure appears unsustainable considering the state of the national economy. We need to restructure the service to reduce the burden of financing on the public sector.
“We can deepen public private partnership. We can enhance state government participation. We can make it truly a federalised service to bring regional innovations. We must think out of the box.”
He said Osun State was particularly interested in the NYSC because its believes it’s the strongest weapon to strengthen national unity and development, adding that: “The NYSC is a platform that has helped to produce Nigerians who truly see themselves as patriots.
“It is our faith in the potency of the NYSC that motivated our administration to support the operations of the service in Osun State. We have backed the service through upgrades of its facilities and orientation camp.
“We are still committed to doing more because the service provides invaluable service to the state and the federation.”
Speaking earlier, the NYSC boss, Brigadier General Ahmed, told the governor that he was in Osun State to review the operation of the service and to present a specific request for the attention of the state government.
Ahmed, who served as a corps member in Osun State, commended the state government for its logistic and financial support for the NYSC, urging the state government to support the service to build a state secretariat.
He also sought the constitution of a state committee as well as state support for the expansion of orientation facilities.
