2023: NYSC cannot afford to fail, D-G tells staff

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has urged its staff to give maximum support to the 2023 general elections and the National Population and Housing Census.

The NYSC acting Director-General, Mrs Christy Uba, said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the maiden edition of the National Programme Desk Officers’ Workshop in Abuja.

It was organised for officers at the frontline of the implementation of the scheme’s partnership with other agencies of government at the grassroots.

The workshop has “Enhancing Welfare and Security of Corps Members for Successful Implementation of National Programmes: The Role of Schedule Officers,” as a theme.

Uba was represented by the Director, of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, Mr Omotade Ayodele.

Uba reminded the officers that 2023 would be a defining year for the scheme because of these national programmes and the scheme’s Golden Jubilee.

“In line with the established tradition, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Population Commission (NPC) are expected to enlist corps members as ad hoc personnel for the conduct of these important programmes.

“I must stress that we cannot afford to record any failure. At the same time, Nigerians are expected to roll out the drums in celebration of our five decades of unequalled contributions to nation-building.

“For you and other NYSC staff, it will be a moment when your guidance, coordination and supervisory capabilities as field officers will be put to test.”

The director-general said that the essence of the training was to come up with strategies for the more effective and efficient conduct of the scheme’s field operations, especially as they relate to its partnerships with other bodies.

The Director of, the Corps Welfare and Health Services Department, Alhaji Sanusi Abdulrasheed, said that the workshop was for frontline officers who would be held accountable in the discharge of ad hoc assignments across NYSC formations nationwide.

This, he said, was necessary given the number of applications from many government agencies requesting partnership with NYSC in recent times.

He added that considering the spread of NYSC and the sensitive nature of civic duties, there was the need to attain uniformity and strict adherence to terms of agreement with all agencies it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the one-day workshop is expected to equip participants drawn from the NYSC Area Offices and all the NYSC State/FCT Secretariats with the requisite training to drive home the terms of agreement with its partners.