The Acting Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Ayedatiwa has promised that the state government will strengthen the partnership with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, towards ensuring that many rural dwellers benefit from the scheme’s qualitative healthcare services.
Ayedatiwa made this remark while flagging off the first quarter Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme held at Ipogun community in Ifedore Local Government.
The Acting Governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mrs Foluke Tunde-Daramola commended the NYSC for reaching out beyond her primary mandate of uniting the country to provide free and qualitative healthcare services to rural communities.
In an address, the State Coordinator, Mrs Victoria Nnenna Ani said that NYSC came up with the idea of the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme as a means to reach out to the rural dwellers who under normal circumstances were unable to access medical attention as a result of neglect and remoteness of their locations.
The State Coordinator disclosed that the programme aimed at mobilising volunteer corps medical personnel to rural settings to complement government at all levels to give free and qualitative healthcare services.
Also speaking, the Adapogun Oripogun of Ipogunland, Oba Raphael Ojo urged the community dwellers to take advantage of free medical services provided by the NYSC to improve their health conditions.
Some corps medical personnel gave health talks on critical health conditions such as blood pressure, diabetes, physical well-being, and balanced diet as well as discourse on open defecation before a medical investigation and administration of drugs.
The new Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General Muhammad Fadah has called on the relevant stakeholders in the country to work towards the successful implementation of the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD and the scheme’s trust fund.
Brigadier General Fadah stated this during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2022 Batch B Stream One Corps members held at the Permanent Orientation Camp, Iseyin, Oyo State.
Speaking through the Oyo State Coordinator, Mrs Grace Ogbuogebe, Brigadier General Fadah said the health initiative which is aimed at providing easier, free and qualitative health care for rural dwellers, noted that the presence of NYSC was felt more in the grassroots which lacked easy access to quality healthcare.
Brigadier General Fadah, who restated the call for the actualization of the NYSC trust fund, explained that when implemented the trust fund would enhance the smooth operations of the scheme by addressing the challenge of infrastructure and also boost the skill and entrepreneurship development programme.
While enjoining the corps members to eschew social vices and the use of the social media in fuelling hatred, and fake news, the NYSC DG said the social media should be used to promote national unity and development.
Brigadier General Fadah added that corps members should get themselves vaccinated in the camp and adhere to covid 19 safety measures, while equally admonishing corps members to abide by the rules guiding NYSC camping and avail themselves of the skill acquisition and entrepreneurial development put in place by the scheme.
Radio Nigeria observed that 2,319 corps members undergoing orientation courses in Iseyin had 730 corps members drafted from Lagos State to Iseyin while 1,589 were posted to Oyo State.
The corps members were earlier administered the Oath of Allegiance by the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Murktar Abimbola, who was represented at the occasion by Honourable Justice Iyabo Yerinma.
Rotimi Famakin
Similarly in Osun State, Youth Corps Members have been called upon to shun all forms of religious intolerance, and ethnic bigotry and learn to embrace and respect one another’s differences.
They were also reminded that the NYSC orientation course was a critical ingredient to the attainment of national unity, integration, and peaceful coexistence.
This was contained in the address of Osun State Coordinator of the NYSC Mr Abdulwahab Olayinka at the swearing-in and official opening ceremony of the 2022 Batch B Stream I orientation course on Tuesday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Ede.
Mr Olayinka also emphasized that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme was the vehicle that avail participants the platform to practice what they had been taught in their various institutions.
He restated that the scheme had since inception been committed to the mobilization and training of Nigerian graduate youths towards national reorientation and development.
According to him, “The scheme avails you the leverage as patriotic citizens to contribute your quota toward building a united, peaceful and egalitarian society.
“You have been drawn from different states of the federation, from different cultures, backgrounds, academic clime, religions,s and ideologies, and are brought together to integrate, interact and work as a team to achieve the lofty ideals of our founding fathers and heroes past.”
The Osun NYSC boss who noted that the scheme is a 49-year-old legacy of the nation added that as true compatriots corps members were expected to know their roles in ensuring that the country’s identity was preserved in such critical times.
While charging corps members to use the new media to project themselves and the scheme positively, she enjoined them to we themselves as ambassadors of the scheme and the nation.
“Do not use your social media handles to spread hatred or peddle fake news but learn to spread love, kindness, and happiness everywhere you go.”
Earlier, in his welcome address, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Mohammed Kaku Fadah called on corps members to be security conscious at all times.
In a speech delivered by the Osun NYSC State Coordinator, General Fadah also asked them to report all suspicious activities around them to the appropriate authorities.
The swearing-in ceremony which was presided over by the Chief Justice of Osun, Justice Adepele Ojo who was represented by Justice Adedapo Adeniji saw a total of 1553 prospective take the oath of allegiance.
Of the 1553 prospective corps members sworn in, 735 were males while the rest 818 were females.
Adenitan Akinola
Ondo
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Muhammad Kaku Fadah says the deployment of corps members away from states of origin and their assemblage from diverse ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds is to promote national unity and integration.
General Fadah, who was represented by the NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, stated this in his address read at the Swearing-in Ceremony for the 2022 Batch ‘B’ (Stream 1) corps members.
“This policy will not only offer you the opportunity for a broader understanding of the country, but also entrench the culture of working together in an atmosphere filled with friendship, peace, harmony, and a shared vision of a great and prosperous Nigeria.
He reminded the corps members that the Oath of Allegiance sworn to is expected to guide their conduct in the service year as well as have an everlasting influence in their life after service.
General Fadah , who is the 19th Chief Executive Officer of NYSC implored the new entrants into the scheme to sustain the high level of discipline and enthusiasm they have demonstrated so far and urged them to remain compliant with the camp rules and regulations.
“You must continue to distance yourselves from cultism, drug abuse, and other social vices. I urge you not to use social media for negative purposes but deploy same for the promotion of national unity and development”.
Fadah reminded the members of the service corps that white-collar jobs are no longer readily available, and therefore encouraged them to avail themselves of the opportunities embedded in Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.
“You are expected to choose from any of the skill areas, and make yourselves available for the training, which starts from the orientation camp. On our part, management will continue to work with relevant stakeholders for the success of the programme”.
Speaking on COVID -19, he directed all corps members as well as the entire camp community to adhere strictly to the non-pharmaceutical protocols of the Coronavirus pandemic and observe physical distancing, wearing of face masks at all times, and frequent use of hand washing facilities provided at strategic locations in the orientation camp.
General Fadah congratulated 1300 deployed to Ondo State and commended their patriotism and commitment to give their best to the service of the fatherland.
The Chief Judge of Ondo State, Honourable Justice Williams Akintoroye who was represented by Honourable Justice John Olajide Abe administered the Oath of Allegiance on the prospective corps members.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim has appealed to Nigerians to support the scheme’s Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD through the provision of basic medical facilities and drugs.
The appeal is contained in his address to the swearing ceremony of the Batch ‘A’ stream II corps members delivered by the Osun State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Winifred Shokpeka at the orientation camp in Ede.
Major General Ibrahim said the Health Initiative was aimed at providing easy access to free and qualitative health care, especially for the rural poor who for one reason or another could not access hospitals.
He noted that the wife of Nigeria President, Dr Aisha Buhari had demonstrated goodwill by donating well-equipped ambulances for the operation of the NYSC mobile clinics.
The Director-General reminded the corps members that COVID-19 was far from over, hence he warned them to ” adhere strictly to the outlined preventive measures such as physical distancing, wearing of face masks and the use of handwashing facilities provided at strategic locations throughout the orientation period.”
Major General Ibrahim also encouraged them to avail themselves of the opportunities for self-employment offered through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED programme because white-collar jobs were no more fashionable.
Adenitan Akinola
From Iseyin, Oyo State: Corps Members charged to embarce SAED programmes
To further make the impact of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC more felt in the rural areas in the health sector, the Director-General of NYSC, Major General Ibrahim Shuaibu has called on the relevant stakeholders in the country to work towards the success of its Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD.
The NYSC Director-General, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim stated this during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2022 Batch A stream two, corps members held at the permanent orientation camp in Iseyin.
Speaking through the Oyo State Coordinator, of NYSC, Mrs Grace Ogbuoegebe, Major General Ibrahim said the initiative which is aimed at providing free and qualitative health care for rural people noted that the presence of NYSC was felt more in the grassroots.
He explained that the rural dwellers lacked access to quality healthcare.
Major General Ibrahim who restated the call for the actualization of the NYSC Trust Fund explained that when implemented, the trust fund would enhance the smooth operations of the scheme by addressing the challenges of infrastructure.
He said the trust fund would also boost the skill and entrepreneurship development programme of the NYSC.
Major General Ibrahim said corps members should get themselves vaccinated and adhere to all covid-19 safety measures.
The NYSC DG said, corps members should abide by the rules guiding NYSC camping and avail themselves of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurial Development, SAED, put in place by the scheme.
While clearing the air on corps members wearing skirts, the Oyo State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Grace Ogbuoegebe said NYSC binding rules forbid female corps members from wearing skirts.
Radio Nigeria observed that 2,380 corps members comprising 834 males and 1,546 females were posted to Oyo State for their one year mandatory service year.
The corps members were earlier administered an oath of allegiance.
