The National Youth Service Corps has gone a step further in its achievement with the inauguration of its Radio and Television Stations.
The Director General of the Scheme, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim explained that the philosophy behind the establishment of the Radio and Television stations was to educate and entertain Nigerians, give the scheme stronger voice to sensitize Nigerians on the policies of government, in addition to the promotion of national unity and value re- orientation.
Major General Shuaibu explained that the stations, to be run by corps members, would contribute in redirecting the mindsets of youths towards positive ventures.
He said the revamping of the NYSC Ventures had generated revenue of over one billion naira from 2020 to 2021.
He listed other achievements of the scheme to include: NYSC movies, museum, national cultural troupe and the establishment of the North Central Skill Acquisition Centre.
The founder of the scheme, Retired Major General Yakubu Gowon, said the media outfits were veritable tools for driving the nation’s quest for national unity and development.
The Director Press and Public Relations, Mr. Eddy Megwa pointed out that the NYSC Radio and Television hit the airwaves barely a month after being licenced and commended the Director General for the giant stride.
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.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim has appealed to appropriate government authorities to fastback the remaining process for the actualization of the NYSC Trust Fund.
The appeal is contained in the address of the Director-General to the closing ceremony of the 2022 Batch ‘A’ stream I orientation course presented by the Osun Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Winifred Shokpeka at the permanent orientation camp, Ede, Osun State.
Major General Ibrahim explained that once operational, the Trust Fund would enhance the quality of the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurs Development, SAED, scheme through provision of adequate training materials, while all bankable business proposals would be supported with startup grants.
He said the benefiting Corps members would be expected to step down the vocational training or employ a good number of youths of their host Communities, thereby pulling millions of Nigerians out of poverty and stemming the tide of youth restiveness and the tendency for criminality.
The NYSC boss thanked the House of Representatives in particular and the entire National Assembly for the progress made so far on the legislative processes on the Bill for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund.
Major General Ibrahim who charged the Corp members on good conduct said, “let me also warn that social vices such as drug abuse and trafficking, cybercrime and advanced fee fraud will not be condoned.”
He thanked the Federal government for providing the enabling environment for the takeoff of the ‘Corps members’ enrolment in the National Health Insurance Scheme under a comprehensive initiative known as NYSC Group Individual Family Social Health Insurance Programme.
In her own admonition, the state coordinator, Mrs Winifred Shokpeka pleaded with Corps Employers to accept members that were posted to them and take care of the like their own children.
One thousand five hundred and fifty five Corps members had been distributed across the 30 Local Governments of Osun, while one hundred and eighty eight dislodged from Lagos for the purpose of the orientation have been returned to Lagos for the primary assignment.
