Members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, have been charged to invest more in their future by spending part of the newly increased allowance to develop themselves.
The State Coordinator, NYSC, Ondo State, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, made the call when she appeared on a live radio programme in Akure.
During the programme, “Guest of the Week” by Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Positive 102.5 FM Akure, Akpabio challenged the corps members to set part of the allowance aside to pay for instructional materials and other Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, training expenses.
“Let me use the opportunity provided by this live programme to encourage all my corps members serving in Ondo State and other states of the federation to use part of the enhanced allowance to pursue SAED post camp training to secure their future.
“In the time past, corps members are always complaining that the allowance of #19800 is hardly enough for them to cope with their monthly spendings but with this increment to N33000, they should not eat their future. Rather, they should be prudent in their spending and plough back part of the new minimum wage to secure their future.”
She added: “It is no longer news that majority of Nigerians are struggling to make a living but you can deny yourself luxury today to live a better tomorrow.
“The Federal Government through the NYSC has prepared you for abundant life during and after service year with the introduction of Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme which has trained over 1.4 million participants since it was introduced in March 2012.
“I am a foundation staff of SAED programme when it was introduced and I am speaking from an informed angle that if the corps members can vigorously pursue and be trained in any of the skills or vocation approved, becoming self-reliant and independent after the service year is a foregone conclusion.”
The NYSC state coordinator thanked both the Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, for ensuring that the corps members received the befitting new year gift from the Federal Government through the increment.
On the journey so far as the administrator of the scheme in Ondo State, Akpabio thanked the government and the good people of the state under for the massive infrastructural development at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko in the last three years.
Her words: “Since the advent of the present government in the Sunshine State, the focused leadership of Arakunrin Akeredolu (SAN) has renovated seven out of fifteen structures in the camp and has equally constructed perimeter fence round the place to ward off intruders and encroachers but like Oliver Twist, more still has to be done to take the camp to the next higher level we all desire.
“On our part, we are not folding our arms and looking at the direction of the state government to provide all what we need at the camp in line with the Act establishing the scheme which ceded the provision of befitting orientation camp and its development to the state government, but complementing their good efforts with the provision of world class structures.
“Anyone who is opportuned to visit the camp recently will testify to my modest efforts to provide more infrastructure on the camp through partnering with organisations and public spirited individuals within Ondo State.”
The NYSC boss who is passionate about youth development and mentoring called on good people of Ondo State and philanthropists in the society to come over to NYSC camp in Ikare to come and partner with the scheme.
“I want to appeal to Nigerians, especially the good people of Ondo State and philanthropists cum businessmen and women to partner with us to develop one of the oldest camps in the country. Your efforts will not go unrewarded as we promise to name such project you give us after you or terms or conditions you may give”.
The coordinator appreciated the management of Positive FM under the control of Mr. Samson Tunde Abiodun for always playing a pivotal role at ensuring that NYSC is giving adequate and positive coverage all the time.
