No posting to troubled states, NYSC reassures parents

Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, has reassured parents that their children would not be posted to areas that would endanger their lives.

He gave the reassurance yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Batch ‘B’ pre-orientation workshop in Lagos.

The workshop was to enabling NYSC management, state coordinators and collaborating partners to meet and evaluate the previous orientation course and suggest new strategies for successful outing.

Ibrahim, who expressed confidence in the scheme’s security plans to ensure a successful service year for corps members, disclosed that they were collaborating with various agencies to ensure optimum security.

He used the event to challenge various states to make their orientation camps conducive, provide permanent camps and upgrade the facilities.

“The NYSC Act put the responsibility of provision and maintenance of orientation camps on state governments. This reminder has become necessary in view of the current dilapidated condition of many orientation camps and the inadequate facilities in others across the country.

“NYSC has a plan for safety of our corps members. Normally, we collaborate with our security agencies and we have all their phone numbers, so that corps members will know whom to reach in case of danger. We don’t normally post corps members in areas with security challenges,” he said.

The theme, ‘Reinvigorating the NYSC Orientation Course for a Successful Service Year’, he added, was informed by the scheme’s desire to sustain proper induction and preparation of eligible graduates for hitch-free service to their fatherland.

He commended the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund for partnering with the scheme and providing start-up capital for corps members who underwent the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training.