By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Director General (DG) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has stressed the need for States and Local Government Councils to prioritise their statutory obligations to the Scheme.
He was speaking during a visit to the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, in Yenagoa.
Nafiu reminded his host of the need to constitute the NYSC State Governing Board and Local Government Committees, which were non-existent in the state, pointing out that those statutory bodies were saddled with responsibilities bordering on the security, general welfare and utilisation of Corps members.
The DG, who disclosed that his mission in the the State was to monitor the ongoing 2025 Batch ‘C’ Orientation Course, however thanked the Governor for the provision of a new 700-capacity male hostel at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Kaima, as well as the ongoing construction of another one for female Corps members, which is at 50% stage of completion.
He also applauded him for other gestures of the State Government, including the prompt payment of monthly allowances and post-camp transportation subsidy; support for families of deceased Corps members; sustenance of the State NYSC Honours Award.
While underscoring the relevance and responsiveness of the NYSC, the DG disclosed that the 5,000 Corps members serving across the length and breadth of Bayelsa State offered services that saved the State Government about three billion Naira annually.
He further disclosed that 3,349 Bayelsa youths were at the moment serving in other States of the Federation.
Nafiu used the occasion of the visit to appeal to the Governor to provide vehicles for the NYSC State Secretariat to aid its monitoring and inspection as well as hasten the completion of the female hostel at the State’s Orientation Camp.
He also reminded him of a pending request for the provision of land for rice farming, explaining that NYSC ventured into agricultural activities partly as an avenue for training of Corps members towards self-employment and wealth creation.
