The coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps in Ondo State, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, has asserted that continuous service to the nation by graduate youths after the mandatory one year national service will take the country to greater heights.
Ani made the assertion while addressing 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) passing out corps members in Ondo zone.
Addressing outgoing corps members separately at Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Ondo West Local Governments respectively, the coordinator said that they should go into the larger society to redeem Nigeria from the myriads of challenges bedevilling the country.
“My dear children that have made NYSC proud during your exploits in the course of serving the nation, I want to let you know that your one year service is basically to prepare you for bigger roles and I am imploring you to justify the huge investment the nation puts at your disposal for the benefit of all.
“The mandate of the National Youth Service Corps is to groom graduate youths into becoming responsible citizens that would be selfless and patriotic in their service through deployment and posting to all the states of the federation to preach love, peace, and oneness as handed over by the founding fathers to the management of the scheme. You are now better informed that our strength lies in our diversity and you now understand better why you are posted outside your comfort zone.”
The NYSC Ondo State boss averred that Nigeria needed the youths more than they needed themselves and admonished them to see Nigeria as the only project they must invest in throughout their lifetime so that they would be remembered like the nationalists such as late Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and others.
She wanted the outgoing corps members to take advantage of the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme they were exposed to during the service year to make decent living for themselves.
“My patriotic, focused and zealous outgoing corps members, as you exit the National Youth Service Corps today, you should count yourselves lucky and be grateful to NYSC for providing you with an intervention that will make you great entrepreneurs and captains of industries like Tony Elumelu, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenug, Femi Otedola etcetera.
“With your involvement in Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, the sky will be your starting point and do not despise the humble beginning because Rome was not built in a day. Steadily with extra sacrifice and commitment, you will surely get to the top,” she counselled.
While wishing them the best in their future endeavours, Ani enjoined them to continue to be good ambassadors of NYSC and their respective families.
“As I bid you farewell today, I want to appeal to you all not to engage in any activity that will bring your name into disrepute or pitch you against the law of the land and my prayer is that one day, I will meet you at the top during that period, I will dance passionately to herald your individual and collective successes,” she concluded.
In all, 1148 corps members were discharged from the national service in the state out of which eleven had their services extended for various misdemeanors, and ten others who absconded in the course of service would repeat the service year subject to the approval from the Directorate Headquarters, Abuja.
