The Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has lauded the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme for making him a detribalised Nigerian.
“I am a strong beneficiary of the National Youth Service Corps programme because the scheme provided me with the opportunity to marry my beautiful angel who is from another geo-political zone,” he said.
Akeredolu made the remark on Tuesday when the management of NYSC and corps members in Ondo State made a surprise visit to his office to celebrate his birthday with him.
According to the governor, NYSC as a programme had made a great impact on the nation and its people generally.
He said that was evident in the inter tribal marriage which it promoted and he had benefitted from.
Harping on the NYSC as an instrument of making him a detribalised Nigerian, he said but for NYSC, he would not have been able to deeply understand another culture, much less marry outside his own part of the country.
He said his service year provided him a bone of his ribs of over three decades, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu.
Akeredolu, a member of the 1978/79 service year thanked the NYSC family for identifying with him during the celebration.
He specifically mentioned that the cake presented to him indicated the reunion with NYSC family.
The governor promised to “personally visit the orientation camp very soon.”
He promised to provide more canopies to NYSC to shade the corps members from the scorching sun and heavy rains during their programmes and activities.
He informed the NYSC that his administration would continue to encourage localisation contents tailored towards enhancing job creation for the teeming youths.
“The materials we are using to make the blocks for the perimeter fence is 100% sourced locally, including the block moulding machine.
“We experimented the process with the NYSC and now that we are confident of its quality and success rate, we shall replicate such in other areas of capacity building to give source of livelihood to our youths who are looking up to our administration for sustenance.”
Speaking earlier, the State Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, said that the visit was to celebrate an icon and a leader who has shown great compassion on the scheme since his assumption of office two years ago.
Mrs. Akpabio equally said that the coming of NYSC family to felicitate “with our own is to say thank you to Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) for hosting the top echelon of the management nationwide during the 2018 NYSC Annual Management Conference adjudged to be the best in recent years by the then Director General, Major General Suleiman Zakare Kazaure.”
Akpabio requested the governor to “come over to NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko to come and see us.|
She used the occasion to reel out the assistance received from the state government which included construction of perimeter fence at the camp, release of brand new operational vehicle to the secretariat to enhance corps inspection, and others.
The highlight of the visit was the cutting of a birthday cake by the celebrant, Akeredolu, with the NYSC management and representatives of the corps members.
In attendance were the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Joel Olushile Ale, who received the banters from Akeredolu for not being like him who was detribalised and married outside his geopolitical zone but instead married from his hometown.
Others include Head of Service, Mr. Oluwadare Aragbaye; Commissioner for Information, Donald Ojogo; Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters, Dr. Jibayo Adeyeye, and Mr. Babajide Akeredolu.
