Ondo State National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Coordinator, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, has asserted that orientation course is to put prospective corps members in correct perspective for selfless service and nation building.
The state coordinator made the assertion on Saturday while giving overview of the NYSC in a lecture she delivered to 2020 Batch ‘B’ (Stream 1A) prospective corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare Akoko, Ondo State.
Akpabio said that as Nigerians, they should believe in the country and cooperate with leaders to make it a better place for all to live.
“My prospective corps members, I want you to do away with the erroneous impression that this country has no meaningful solutions to offer the young and vibrant youths in their quest for better future. Right from the three weeks orientation course, we have packaged programmes and activities that will impact positively on your future.
“A situation whereby some of you are bringing documents which are not genuine to seek relocation or exeat from camp so that you can go back to your parents and loved ones at the expense of service to the fatherland is not good enough.
“Some of you may be wondering that some of your colleagues are leaving the camp while we refused to grant approvals to others that applied. We are releasing those with life threatening ailments, the nursing mothers and the pregnant ones as the rigours of camp activities may further endanger their lives.”
The NYSC boss traced the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps to the post civil war era when the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, saw the need to heal the wounds created by the needless war.
“General Yakubu Gowon came up with the three Rs known as Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconcilation, thus bringing NYSC into the mainstream of Nigeria developmental plan on 22nd May, 1973 and has been waxing stronger ever since.
She disclosed that the service year is an unbroken and continuous 12 calendar months and warned them that anyone found wanting in the course of the service year would be sanctioned in line with the NYSC bye law.
Akpabio outlined that the scheme had 12 functional departments and four autonomous units under the office of the Director General of NYSC.
“To further bring the administration to the grassroots, the scheme upon the approval from the Office of the Civil Service of the Federation created Area Offices in each of the geo political zone and these offices are headed by Directors.
“Before the creation of Area Offices, corps inspection was domiciled at the Corps Welfare and Inspectorate Department at the Headquarters, but with the expansion, Area Offices are now responsible for monitoring of corps members in the respective areas,” she said.
While wishing the prospective corps members a rewarding orientation course, Akpabio inaugurated COVID -19 Enforcement Vanguard and admonished them to protect themselves against the spread of the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
