‘Current socio-political challenges place enormous burden on NYSC’

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, says the current socio-political situation in the country has placed enormous burden on corps members.

Kazaure also said that such burden would serve as a motivation to achieving the ideals of the scheme.

The Director General said this in Enugu on Friday during a working visit to the NYSC orientation camp in Awgu, Enugu State.

He was represented at the event by the Director of Community Development Services and Special Projects, Mr Ysuf Ehoda-Adi.

Kazaure charged corps members not to rest until they contributed in bequeathing to generations unborn ‘a unique country’ where citizens would have equal opportunities.

He said that as harbingers of a united Nigeria, corps members needed to contribute to the development of their host communities.

“The NYSC holds out a unique hope that the tendencies of divisions that have held the country down cannot win.

“The collective challenge for all is to diffuse our differences and challenges to ensure that we carry the elements that will make us serve our nation well as well as shed primordial sentiments.

“The greatness of this country must be our collective objective until we bequeath to generations unborn a unique country they can be proud of,” he said.

Kazaure urged the corps members to be good ambassadors of their respective institutions of higher learning, adding that their contributions in initiating development projects would bear such testimonies.

He reiterated the resolve to ban all social gatherings without express permission by NYSC management at relevant levels due to unfortunate incidences involving corps members.

“You will not have the liberty of engaging in social gatherings and travelling without express permission. We cannot afford to further lose corps members in death”, Kazaure said.

Earlier in an address of welcome, the NYSC Coordinator in the state, Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka decried the state of facilities in the orientation camp.

Ikaka said that they could no longer pretend that all was well in the camp.

“Our camp may not be the best but it is the first being the premier NYSC orientation camp in the country established in 1973.

“Some of the structures here were erected in the 1950s and predate the scheme. Since 1973, this camp existed without perimeters fence,” he said.

The state coordinator said that most of the hostels were a sorry sight and needed to be upgraded with modern facilities.

He said that no fewer than 247 ceiling fans at the cost of N2.7 million were needed for all the rooms in the hostel.