The new focus of the National Youth Service Corps to retrieve all the archival materials and keep for future references is already receiving a boost as one of the first generation kit items has been donated to the idea.
One of the ex-corps member who served in Oyo State during the 1992/93 service year, Mr. Kolawole, Ojo Jonathan, who incidentally is a Chief Inspector at NYSC Ondo State Secretariat donated his head-dress as his contribution to make the objectives of archival materials achievable.
Receiving this historical item, the State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, expressed her profound gratitude to the donor for writing his name in the annals of NYSC.
“I am particularly happy that Ondo State is going into history today again as one of the first set of NYSC Secretariats to implement the pet project of our amiable Director General”.
The state coordinator used the occasion to call on ex-corps members who are based or resident in the Ondo State to support the project by coming forward to donate the relics of what they were given during the service year.
“The popular saying that charity begins at home has been amply displayed today as one of the policy implementors at the state level is the first to come forward and make the personal donation and I want to admonish the general public to take a cue from this.
“In like manner, I want to implore serving corps members to encourage their parents, guardians, brothers and sisters as well as their loved ones that had participated in this noble scheme at one time or another to come and identify with us on this project.
“NYSC that has put up this project has a reward system attached to it and I want to inform the general public that various donors will have their names in the outstanding record book of the NYSC and I charge the ex-corps members to take up this lifetime opportunity” she said.
In his contribution, a member of the Retrieval of Archival Materials Committee who is an Assistant Director in the Ventures Management Department, Mr. Busari, Dauda Rauf, acknowledged the willingness of the donor to make the project a sustainable project.
Mr. Busari, on behalf of the Director General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, the chairman of the Retrieval of Archival Materials Committee, Mr. Dewan Stephen promised to preserve the item donated.
The donor, who was the 2021 second quarter Best NYSC Staff Merit Award winner in Ondo State, Mr. Kolawole, Ojo Jonathan said he was fulfilled to be part of the project.
Kolawole, an indigene of Ekiti State who served at the Agricultural Extension Department in Ogbomoso North local government of Oyo State disclosed that he was among the privileged ones to have that kind of headdress.
When the donor was reminded that the headdress belonged to the sets that served before 90’s, he said that it was providence that counted him among the few privileged that had such.
“I cannot explain how it happened but I can remember vividly that when the kit items issued to the corps members then were not complete, we were called aside and issued with this. Although, some of my colleagues were not comfortable and expressed their displeasure but today, I thank God who designed it to be so,” he said.
