The Ondo State co-ordinator of the National Youth Service, NYSC, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, has been commended for giving a facelift to structures and facilities at the orientation camp.
The Southwest Area Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Danjuma Attah, gave the commendation when he paid an unscheduled visit to the on-going 2019 Batch ‘C’ (Stream 1) orientation course at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko.
Attah said he was not surprised to see many capital projects going on simultaneously in the camp given the antecedents of the Grace Akpabio.
He said Grace Akpabio was known for her aggressive and unrelenting spirit to make laudable impacts wherever she worked.
The area coordinator said his visit was to assess the level of implementation of orientation course guidelines in consonance with the NYSC policy thrust and to interact with the corps members.
Addressing the corps members, Attah charged them to be ready to make sacrifice that would take the country to the next level.
Attah, a football star who once played for Flying Eagles of Nigeria said that the members of the service corps should be committed to whatever they strongly believed in.
“My dear gentlemen corps members, you should display a great passion and pursue your dreams without looking back. Those who achieved their dreams are those who believe in themselves. I admonish you to believe in your ability to turn things round positively for this country”.
Attah who was state coordinator in Taraba and Osun states respectively between 2016 and 2019 implored the corps members not to engage in advanced fee fraud or move about with people of shady or questionable character.
Said he: “My dear children, it is an incontrovertible fact that you are the leaders of the present generation and you need to be focused as you prepare to take over the mantle of leadership from the present leaders. Do not engage in any illegal acts that are capable of truncating your journey to greatness.”
He warned the corps members to desist from embarking on frivolous journeys as the scheme would no longer tolerate their excesses.
“It is now a punishable offence in line with the provision of the NYSC Act for corps members to engage in frivolous and unwarranted journeys during the service year. Anyone caught will face the music,” he said.
The area coordinator decried the attitude of some recalcitrant corps members who still dress indecently and not in tandem with the proper dress code approved by the NYSC management.
“Let me warn you that any corps member found culpable of dressing indecently will henceforth be made to pay for their sin. The state coordinators have been empowered to deal decisively with any corps member who fails to recognise the NYSC uniform as our national Identity.
“The NYSC Scheme has invested hugely on the kit items given to each and everyone of you, it now behoves on you to wear it in a more acceptable and dignifying manner and anything done contrary to laid rules and regulations will be met by appropriate sanctions,” he said.
The area coordinator who was the team manager of the Super Eagles between 2007 and 2015 implored the staff to have absolute loyalty to the scheme and continue to support the state coordinator in her quest to make the secretariat one of the best NYSC formations nationwide.
