Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim, has urged Corps members in the country to show commitment to their roles of advancing the unity and development of the country.
The DG made the call during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Batch ‘A’ stream 11 Orientation Course.
The ceremony held simultaneously across NYSC orientation camps in various states of the federation.
In Ebonyi, the event was held at Afikpo Orientation Camp, located at Afikpo North Local Government Area.
Represented by the Ebonyi State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Bamai Mercy, Gen. Ibrahim urged corps members to take the service year seriously.
He said: “My dear compatriots, the orientation course serves as the launch pad for the entire service of the next phase.
“This is important as the entire nation looks forward to your role in advancing the unity and development of the country.
“I urge you to remain patriotic, hardworking, and resilient as demonstrated during the orientation exercise,” he said.
The DG warned the corps members to stay away from all forms of social vices like fraud, drug abuse and trafficking.
He warned that anyone caught engaging in such will be severely punished according to the extant laws guiding the scheme.
Gen. Ibrahim called on the Corps members to identify the needs of their host communities and work towards finding solutions to them either individually or collectively.
He said such personal or group development service projects would uplift the living standards of such communities.
“As you set to report to the places of your primary assignment, I wish to stress the need to be diligent with your duties. I also urge you to integrate into your host communities by learning their languages and cultures.
“Also, you should devote time to identify the felt needs of the communities and initiate personal and group development service projects that will uplift their living standards,” Gen. Ibrahim said.
He charged the Corps members to utilize the knowledge and skills gained from the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) in the camp to be self-employed as white-collar jobs were no longer easy to come by.
The NYSC Boss noted that the service has made progress in the plan to establish a Trust Fund, which, he said, has passed through second reading and also public hearing in the House of Representatives.
He thanked the House of Representatives, and the entire National Assembly for the progress made so far on the legislative processes on the bill and called for support from all to ensure the passage of the bill soon.
“In the same vein, I thank the numerous stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, various government agencies and non-governmental organizations, the academia, civil society organizations as well as women, youth and students’ groups, who used the occasion of the public hearing to voice their overwhelming support for the Bill.
“I will passionately appeal to the appropriate authorities to facilitate the success of the remaining processes that will bring the Trust Fund to fruition,” he concluded.
