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| (from left) Ibrahim 6h, Gowon 7th |
We
post corps members in line with national needs –DG
Address
by the Director-General, NYSC, Brig-General S. Ibrahim DSS PhD MTRCN, at the
opening ceremony of the sensitisation workshop on the NYSC Act held at Rockview
Hotel (Royale), Wuse II, Abuja, on July 24, 2019.
Protocol
It is my pleasure to address this august
gathering on this occasion of the sensitisation workshop on the NYSC Act. Let
me begin by welcoming in a very special way, the former Head of State and founding
father of the National Youth Service Corps, His Excellency General (Dr)Yakubu
Gowon GCFR. Your Excellency sir, we thank you most sincerely for making time
out of your busy schedule to grace this occasion. I also welcome our Special Guest
of Honour, the Guest Speaker and other distinguished guests who came from far
and near to witness this programme.
Your
Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, this sensitisation workshop is organised in
furtherance of our commitment to the success of the NYSC mandate. We as
managers of the Scheme, recognise the importance of every stakeholder in our
quest to enhance the achievements of the Scheme in line with the vision of its
founding fathers. Given the current realities and continued relevance of NYSC,
we have recognised the need to provide avenue for the enlightenment of
Nigerians on the enabling Act and the various aspects of our operations. This
is based on our firm belief that the roles of stakeholders are better played if
the provisions of the enabling law are clearly understood.
The
NYSC Act has spelt out in clear terms the roles of stakeholders in such areas
the provision of essential facilities as well as the security and general
welfare of Corps members. In the same vein, Nigerian graduates of universities
and other tertiary institutions, both local and foreign trained, are required
to familiarise themselves with relevant provisions of the Act so as to avoid
infractions that may haunt them in the spur of the moment or in the future.
Since
my assumption of office as Director-General, I have noted the efforts of the Legal
Unit of the Scheme at creating awareness among serving and prospective corps
members. While I commend your commitment in this regard, I am confident that the sensitisation we are
launching today will not only deepen the understanding of the Act, but will
also expand the scope of our target audience. Accordingly, I charge the unit to
take further action of stepping down this sensitisation to the grassroots.
Let
me seize this opportunity to remind
Nigerians that the NYSC has made so much impact in the country over the past
forty six years, especially in the areas of unity and socio-economic
development. Our contributions to education, healthcare delivery, agriculture science
and technology, and rural infrastructure have continued to attract accolades from
different quarters. In spite of these feats however, the Scheme still grapples
with some challenges. Some of them are in the areas of stakeholders’
obligations and cases of non-compliance with regulations on Mobilisation and
Exemption from service. May I, therefore, seize this opportunity to
specifically remind States and Local Governments of their obligations to the
Scheme, especially with regards to the provision and maintenance of Orientation
Camps, Corps Members’ Lodges, other essential welfare facilities as well as Office
accommodation for the Scheme. While we commend States that have shown
commitment in this regard, the Scheme is passionately appealing to others to
make necessary facilities available to for the comfort of Corps members deployed to the States.
I
consider it appropriate to also remind professional bodies who have been
inundating us with requests for posting of corps members to specific areas of
endeavours for Primary Assignment that such requests are not in tandem with the
provisions of the NYSC Act from which our posting policy is derived. For the
avoidance of doubt, Corps members are assigned to serve in areas where their
services are required in line with national needs, with priority given to rural
transformation. On this premise, I call on Nigerians, including undergraduates
and their parents and guardians to familiarise themselves with the NYSC Act for
better understanding of the policies and operations of the Scheme.
Given
the calibre of the personalities that gathered here today, I am confident that
more ideas will be generated for sustained education of the citizenry on the
Act. In particular, I enjoin all participants in this forum to help spread the message of
compliance with its provisions. On our part, we shall continue to sustain the
confidence of Nigerians on the Scheme by rededicating ourselves to the
discharge of its mandate.
Once
again, I appreciate His Excellency, other distinguished guests and participants
for honouring our invitation.
Thank
you and God bless.
Next……..
Address
by the Director-General, NYSC, Brig-General S. Ibrahim DSS PhD MTRCN, on the
occasion of the Pre-retirement Workshop for NYSC Staff held at New Keffi Hotel,
Keffi, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday July 30, 2019.