NYSC DG gives condition for Corps members’ overseas trips

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. General Shuaibu Ibrahim, has strongly warned that no Corps member should embark on any journey except after securing approval from appropriate authority.

Addressing the 2020 Batch ‘A’ stream 1 Corps members at NYSC orientation camp in Kubwa, Abuja, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim disclosed that he alone has the power to approve any foreign trip for a Corps members, while journeys within the country can only be approved by State Coordinators.

He however, warned emphatically that no Corps employer has the power to approve any Corps members’ trip outside the state he or she is posted to serve.

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“Experts have been invited to all the Camps nationwide to give you tips on how to keep yourself safe. Please take those tips very seriously. Don’t endanger your security.

“Under no condition must you travel without permission because we have realized that most of the deaths we have recorded during service are on account of road traffic accident.

“If you are going to travel within Nigeria, it’s only your State Coordinator that can permit you to travel. If you apply through your place of Primary Assignment to Zonal, Local government and to the State Coordinator and the permission is not granted, please don’t miss an inch. If you have to travel outside the country, as I said earlier, it’s only the Director-General that can permit you to travel. Again, if you apply through your place of Primary Assignment to Zonal, Local government and to the State Coordinator and there is no response, don’t move.

“We are concern for your welfare and security. Don’t travel at night at all. We had a meeting with the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps last year where we had an understanding that whenever Corps members are travelling on holiday, we will liaised with leadership of Road Transport Workers so that they can provide a good vehicle and a sane driver that will take you to wherever you are going and wherever night falls, you have to pass the night there.”

Ibrahim further advised Corps members to eschew any form of ethnic and religious bigotry and adopt discipline, patriotism as well as represent the NYSC.

“You must not do anything that will tarnish the image of NYSC, yourself and that of your parents. Please, you must be disciplined. It is also expected of you to choose projects that will impact positively on your host community.

While explaining that such project could be executed either individually or as a group, he warned corps members against borrowing money to execute any projects even as he advised them to carry the host community along in the implementation process.

Speaking further, he urged them to source for funding from the community noting that “the moment they (host community) are involved in the funding and the process of bringing the project to fruition, by the time you are gone, they will keep ownership of the project and take care of the project. Don’t go and borrow money because you want to win National Award.”