The Director-General, National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, on Tuesday lamented the obsolete, dilapidated and grossly inadequate facilities at the orientation camps across the country.
Kazaure made the observation in Calabar during the 2016 `Batch B’ Pre-orientation Workshop organised for stakeholders to fashion out ways for a successful orientation programme.
According to him, the panacea for the challenge is for all the three tiers of government to live up to their statutory roles in the operations of the scheme.
The director-general said the Federal Government was providing funds for robust activities of the scheme in spite of the current financial challenges.
“The NYSC scheme started with less than 2,700 corps members in 1973. Today, the scheme is now mobilising over 300,000 corps members annually.”
“Presently, the facilities in most orientation camps are obsolete, dilapidated and grossly inadequate for the ever increasing corps population.”
“The panacea for this challenge is for all the three tiers of government to live up to its statutory roles in the operation of the scheme.”
“As we commence this exercise, I urge all stakeholders, especially the traditional rulers, transport workers and security agencies to assist our prospective corps members safely to their places of posting and throughout the service year.’’
Earlier, Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River, represented by his Deputy, Prof. Ivara Esu, said the scheme was established as a platform for engendering oneness and national cohesion.
Ayade said he was pleased with the new curriculum of the NYSC which placed emphasis on skills development and cultural assimilation.
According to him, the state is diversifying its economy in the area of agriculture.
The governor advised the NYSC management to post a large number of agriculture graduates to the state.
Ayade announced that N1million would be shared among the 14 best performing corps members in the 2015 Batch `B’ session in the state.
NAN
