NYSC orientation camps and safety of
corps members
By Uji
Abdullahi Iliyasu
There
are many patriotic citizens who are aware of the cardinal principles of the
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as regards welfare of corps members. Also there
are a number of mischief makers who derive fun in detracting public
officeholders who toil day and Nigeria to recreate Nigeria of our dream. One of
such rare officers is the current Director-General of NYSC, and an Associate
Professor of History and War Studies, Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim.
Recently, a story
has been going on social media that NYSC authorities ignored calls to close the
orientation camps because of the loss the contractors would incur. But knowing
the Director-General of the scheme and the unprecedented ways he accords
priority to corps members’ lives, I was moved to write a piece to straighten
the curve on the warped social media report as a statement issued by the management
of NYSC Saturday, said the story was “full of inconsistencies,
lacking in facts and accuracy.”
Stating its
position, NYSC authorities pointed to their previous efforts to stop the spread
of the pandemic. They said, “Management hereby states that in March, 2020,
guided by the Scheme’s cardinal policy of prioritising the welfare and safety
of corps members, staff and collaborating agencies, shutdown the 37 camps
of the scheme across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital
Territory.
“The
proactive move which was devoid of prod from any quarter was to safeguard the corps
members and NYSC officials from contracting the dreaded Coronavirus, an action
in consonance with the afore stated policy of the corps.
“In
November 2020, the scheme, after putting in place necessary measures for
safe reopening of camps, and guided by the Centre for Disease Control,
reopened its camps.
“It is
imperative to restate that everyone coming into the NYSC camps must undergo
COVID-19 test, corps members and officials alike. Only those that test negative
are admitted into the camps,” management said.
They further
said that the same measures adopted for the November and December, 2020 orientation
courses are going to be applied to the 2020 Batch “B” Stream II orientation
course commencing, Tuesday, January19, 2021, with stricter enforcement of all
the safety protocols. By this, NYSC and NCDC are working closely for a
successful exercise as recorded previously.
Accordingly,
the DG advised members of the general public to disregard the cooked-up
reportage designed to deliberately create fear and panic in the minds of
unsuspecting Nigerians.
The
NYSC boss, so vast in human resource management and in-depth in the psychology of
youths; knows the importance of youth development and their security and
welfare. Apart from being assets to parents who have invested so much in them
with the promise of a secure future, graduate
youths are a greater asset to the nation in general.
It
is worthy to note that the history of a nation is incomplete without the
contribution of its youths, so a Director-General who is both an accomplished military
officer and associate professor knows better not to have toyed with young and
promising lives of graduate youths just because he wants to satisfy the ego and
pecuniary consideration of some contractors.
In
this country, there are many fifth columnists and detractors of public officeholders
regardless of their patriotism and invaluable contributions they make in
office. Those who work with the General will testify that he is not a man given
to implementing a programme based on such consideration as financial benefits for
some people but on national appeal and collective benefits for the country.
He
believes that youths are the vehicle of societal transformation of any nation, because
many advanced countries of the world today, especially in the western world,
are scientifically and militarily ahead of others because of their early
recognition of the vital role youth education played in nation-building.
To
demonstrate that General Ibrahim is truly devoted to the Nigeria project, it is
good I bring to public notice the glowing tributes prominent Nigerians paid to
him during his first anniversary in office.
Professor
Nwaodozie of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) said, “The best and greatest DG
NYSC has ever had since its existence. Carry on with your good work,
Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, Sarkin Yakin Apawa”
ASUU
president, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi wrote, “Good morning, our dear General and
DG. I join millions of Nigerian youths
to celebrate you for your giant strides since you assumed the leadership of
NYSC one year ago. Yours has been an open leadership style with a sense of
history and mission.
“As
you continue in your dynamic efforts to make the agency the pride of all, may
the good Lord guide and bless you with divine wisdom and sound health. Congratulations,
friend and brother.”
Also,
a corps members, Kassim Afeez of 2019 Batch
B Stream
I, serving in Kebbi state, countered the malicious reports on social media. He summarised
the importance the NYSC DG places on security and welfare of corps members
since he assumed office, saying, “As (part of) the 2020 Batch A Stream I, I
took the baton to serve Nigeria under the sun and in the rain. The NYSC boss, Brig-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, had
to give the directive to shut down all orientation camp venues and the corps
members be given their respective letters to their PPAs (Places of Primary
Assignments) owing to the Covid-19 outbreak. This was indeed a great measure
taken by the NYSC boss as he was bent on his statement to prevent the corps
members from contracting the deadly disease.
“As
an historian, you have indeed made another history among several as the first
man to give the directive of a complete lockdown system with no symptomatic cases
of corona virus among corps members till today.
“The
feat honours you to have a seat among the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19,
because it suffices to say that these roles are complementary to those of the Federal
Government, which bears the heaviest cost of running the Scheme; the scheme
that houses the nation’s most valuable asset (the youth).”
Addressing the 2019 Batch Pre-orientation
course workshop in Alausa, Ikeja, in June, Brig-General Ibrahim corroborated
the earlier speakers, “Given the security challenges in parts of the country,
it behoves us to take proactive measures to ensure that all our camps and corps
members are safe. Accordingly, the security arrangements in the camps should
not only be sustained but be improved upon.
“Before
the commencement of every orientation course, state coordinators should liaise
with appropriate security agencies to assess security situation in our camp
locations. This will enable us address any identified challenge before the
take-off of the exercise.”
Therefore,
detractors cannot deceive Nigerians to believe that Brigadier-General Ibrahim, an
erudite scholar and an astute administrator, can be manipulated by any
contractors who might prefer to pursue their financial interests at the expense
of Nigerian graduates, the future of the nation.
Uji, a journalist and commentator on national issues, lives in Abuja