National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Batch ‘B’ corps members deployed to Ebonyi have called for increased funding of the scheme to sustain its ideals and prospects.
The corps members made the call at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Old Mac-Gregor College, Afikpo during the swearing-in ceremony of the batch on Monday.
According to respondents interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the call in some quarters to scrap the scheme was unpatriotic, as the scheme had been a unifying factor in the country.
Mr Thomas Dakum from Plateau remarked that the scheme was a veritable tool to ensuring cultural integration of the country.
Dakum said government should ensure that the scheme was adequately funded to forestall accommodation, remuneration of corps members, postings and other factors militating against it.
“I would encourage corps members to learn entrepreneurship skills to become self reliant to solve the unemployment problem that makes people call for its scrapping”, he said.
Miss Sandra Adege from Edo described the call for the programme’s scrapping as surprising; noting that enhanced funds would take care of the various challenges confronting the programme.
“I went to school in Benin Republic and decided to serve my fatherland. NYSC colour is the aspiration of every parent, especially those in the Diaspora who want their children to learn more about Nigeria.
“The scheme’s operators should increase the monthly allowance given to corps members in order to solve accommodation and other related problems associated with postings to areas of primary assignment’’, Adege said.
Mrs Gladys Mbachi, State Coordinator of the programme, noted that 2,046 corps members comprising of 1,118 males and 928 females were registered for the batch.
“The presence of these men and women of honour and proven integrity and high standing in Ebonyi, is a testimony of the great value the NYSC adds to the country’s socio development.
“We are, however, constrained by shortage of accommodation for camp officials and corps members and the broken camp fences makes the camp community vulnerable to intruders”, Mbachi said.
Gov. David Umahi, represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Charles Akpueneika, congratulated the corps members on their successful academic pursuits and induction into the scheme.
“The scheme is designed to foster cooperation and understanding among corps members while providing an ideal environment for comprehensive distillation of ideas to enhance national unity and development”, the governor said.
Highlights of the occasion included speeches by relevant stakeholders, march past, tug of war contest, and cultural performances by the corps members, among others. (NAN)