President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme would be used to drive his administration’s change mantra.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the president stated this at the swearing-in of 2016 Batch `A’ of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Keffi, Nasarawa state, Ise-Ekiti, Ekiti and Gusau in Zamfara.
NAN reports that in Keffi (Nasarawa State), Buhari, represented by Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa state, said the Federal Government (FG) placed a high premium on the NYSC scheme.
The President’s address was read in Ekiti by Mr Odunayo Adesoye, the Director of Youths, Ministry of Information, Youths and Sports Development, who represented Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti.
Also in Keffi, the president’s speech was read by Alhaji Ishaq Galadima, Nasarawa state Commissioner for Youths and Sports on behalf of Gov. Tanko Al-Makura,
The president said the scheme is useful because it had proved itself over the years to be a reliable vehicle in inculcating sacrifice and patriotism in Nigerian youths.
“My dear corps members, the National Youth Service Corps which was established four decades ago has demonstrated its ability to remain relevant in the life cycle of the nation,” he said.
The president said the Federal Government would continue to invest hugely in the youth.
While the president decried the dwindling economy of the country, he assured that his administration would strive hard to ensure that challenges facing the nation’s economy would be a thing of the past.
He, however, warned the new youth corps members to shun social vices such as cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug peddling thuggery, prostitution, terrorism, militancy, cybercrimes, bunkering and the get-rich quick syndrome.
“I charge you to use the various NYSC Community Development Services platforms at the grassroots to carry out public enlightenment and mobilisation for change in behaviour, thinking, cultural orientation and outlook,” he said.
According to the president, one of the disturbing problems inherited by this administration is increasing unemployment among the young people, and that will soon be a thing of the past.
“Thousands of graduates from the higher institutions of learning get frustrated daily as they search for non-existing jobs.
“This is why this administration is anxious to recover illicit wealth to channel them to productive economic venture to absorb thousands into employment,” Buhari said.
The President also charged corps members to work with enthusiasm to better the lives of their host communities.
In his address of welcome, EKiti NYSC Coordinator, Mr Tobechi Ibeh, urged the corps members to be hard working in order to build an egalitarian society for the nation.
Ibeh restated the commitment of the NYSC scheme to attitudinal change that would make the youths to be self-reliant.
NAN reports that no fewer than 1,581 corps members comprising 902 male and 679 female in the 2016 Batch `A’ were administered oath of allegiance by the Ekiti Chief Judge, Justice Ayo Daramola.
Also, NYSC State Coordinator in Nasarawa state, Mrs Habiba Bappah, said that out of the prospective corps members who reported to camp, a total of 1,935 corps members were duly registered.
“This number is made up of 835 males and 1,100 females ready to be sworn in today,” she said.
She then urged the new corps members to participate actively and take various the training sessions seriously; as the sessions were mapped out to give them a better future.
In Gusau, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara urged the 1, 600 corps members posted to the state to use the period of their service to acquire various entrepreneurship skills.
According to Yari, who was represented by the state Commissioner of Youth, Skill Acquisition and Sports, Alhaji Abdullahi Gurbin-bore, these skills will assist them to be self reliant after the service year.
“I call on you to use your service year to contribute to the development of our dear country by using the service period to enhance the national productivity, ‘’ he said.
He advised the corps members to show respect to the values, culture and traditions of their respective host communities, while extending the benefits of national service to the grass roots level.
Also, the Zamfara NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Ballama Bello, said the three weeks orientation programme was one of the cardinals of NYSC.
However, Bello urged the corps members to be obedient to NYSC rules and regulations and avoid crimes and other social vices.
NAN reports that the swearing-in was conducted by Justice Awwal Gummi on behalf of the state Chief Judge, Justice Kulu Aliyu.
NAN also reports that the orientation camp would last for three weeks across the federation. (NAN)