NYSC DG decries obsolete camp facilities

Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Sule Kazaure, has called on the three tiers of government to join forces in order to upgrade orientation camp facilities in most parts of the country, which, he said, had become obsolete, dilapidated and grossly inadequate  for the ever increasing corps population.

The NYSC DG who made the call in Calabar, Cross River State, on Tuesday, during the 2016 Batch ‘B’ pre-orientation workshop.

He underscored the need for the upgrade of camp facilities in order to provide a conducive environment for corps members.

“The NYSC Scheme started with less than 2,700 corps members in 1973 and is now mobilising over 300,000 corps members annually. Presently, the facilities in most orientation camps are obsolete, dilapidated and grossly inadequate for the ever increasing corps population.

“The panacea for this challenge is for the three tiers of government to live up to their statutory roles in the operation of the scheme,” he said.

Kazaure, however, commended the Federal Government for funding the scheme, in spite of obvious financial constraints.

He also charged stakeholders and other private organisations to complement the efforts of the federal and state governments in supporting the scheme through Public Private Partnership (PPP), to enhance all aspects of its operations, adding that this would provide a veritable platform for corps members to be exposed to the business world.

The NYSC DG, however, commended the Cross River State government for providing the scheme with enabling environment during the orientation course, winding-up or passing-out of corps members and provision of drugs for the health initiative for the rural dwellers programme.

Also speaking, governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade, said he was pleased with the new orientation and curriculum of the NYSC which places emphasis on skills development and cultural assimilation, adding that it was in line with the policy thrust of his administration.

He however, expressed the hope that with these initiatives, unemployed youths would derive both direct and indirect employments, while skills would be acquired by them.

Ayade who was represented by his deputy, Professor Ivara Esu said, “The enthusiastic response of corps members to national duties and collaboration with organisations is proof that our youths represent a virile vanguard for socio-economic transformation and national orientation.”

“Let me therefore charge NYSC members with whom you will soon be interacting, to accord skills acquisition, priority attention throughout their service year as skills learnt during this period could become enablers for self-employment upon completion of one year”

He assured the management of the NYSC of the continued collaboration, cooperation and synergy of the state government to enable it achieve it set goals.