The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme is the only way to enhance Nigeria’s national unity, the Olowo of Owo Kingdom, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye, has asserted.
The newly crowned monarch made the assertion when played host to the Ondo State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, and her management team.
The monarch opined that the establishment of the laudable scheme had eroded the primordial knowledge and beliefs which made one ethnic group to suspect the other.
According to the Olowo of Owo, NYSC over the years, had encouraged social and cultural integration which he said was the basis on which suspicion had given way to mutual trust.
He said those who observed the mandatory one year service in a particular state and community were staying back to contribute meaningfully to the development of their second home.
“NYSC has remained the only catalyst that has made it possible for citizens of this country to see themselves as one indivisible entity. You can imagine how the programme has promoted inter tribal marriages thus fostering the much anticipated national unity.
“I want to inform this gathering that the coming together of graduate youths from different ethnic groups and backgrounds to contribute to the overall development of this nation has great influence on our being as no ethnic group can operate as an island.”
Oba Ogunoye who is a lawyer by training promised to use his position to attract development to NYSC in Ondo State.
“The corps members are doing great in all the communities they are posted and as a custodian of people within the Kingdom, we shall do the needful within the ambit of the law to provide at all times, a conducive environment for them to function effectively.
“I will liaise with the relevant security agencies within the local government, notably the Police, Department of State Security, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps as well as local vigilance group to monitor and secure the corps members in my Kingdom”.
The retired career civil servant who rose to the peak as Permanent Secretary before ascending the throne of his forefathers acknowledged that corps members were germane to the development the country desired.
The retired Permanent Secretary promised to liaise with the Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, to provide a more befitting accommodation and ensure adequate security for corps members serving with the institution.
The king, while thanking the state coordinator for coming with her management team and the corps members to felicitate with him on his coronation announced that the corps members should see the palace as their home.
“I want to thank the state coordinator who has always acceded to my request for corps members when I was in the Civil Service, a very accommodating and detribalised Nigerian who is making waves with the development she is daily bringing to NYSC in the Sunshine State.”
Speaking earlier, the state coordinator, Mrs. Grace Akpabio felicitated with the Olowo on his ascension to the throne of his forefathers and prayed that his reign shall be peaceful like that of his ancestors.
The state coordinator appealed to the royal father to use his position in the state to influence the establishment of NYSC Local Government Committee in all the Councils in the state as all previous efforts had not yielded any positive result.
Akpabio used the opportunity of the visit to present to the traditional ruler the sketch of the house plan for the Corpers Lodge prepared by the corps members serving in Owo Council area for a befitting accommodation as the present arrangement is said to be grossly inadequate for one of the highest corps employers in the state.
The coordinator was accompanied to the palace by Assistant Directors in charge of Corps Monitoring and Inspection; Corps Discipline and Reward; Human Resource Management and some representatives of corps members serving in the ancient town.
