NYSC moves to tackle threats against corps members

Bothered with the state of social and security challenges facing Corps members, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Monday, commenced the process of training the scheme’s corps Inspector Officers to tackle challenges.

The challenges noted, range from population explosion, corps rejection, insurgency, kidnapping among others.

NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure made the disclosure at the capacity building programme themed: “Capacity Building for NYSC Inspectors in the Face of Emerging Challenges in Corps Administration” held at the scheme’s permanent orientation camp, Kubwa, Abuja.

The DG in his address, stated that the scheme, recently has faced more formidable operational challenges compared to the past, thus the importance of the training.

“Contemporary social and security challenges such as corps population explosion, corps rejection, insurgency, kidnapping and other violent crimes that were not envisaged at its inception, are now the regular occurrences that the scheme and its officers have to grapple with.”

“In the face of these challenges, this training is designed to update your knowledge and equip you sufficiently to be on top of the demand of your responsibilities at all times,” he said.

Kazaure also lamented unwholesome practices of some of its officers at the local government and zonal officers saying: “feedback from the periodic nationwide inspection of corps location indicates that some of our Local Government and Zonal Officers engage in unwholesome practices that could bring the scheme to disrepute.”

“Such practices include delegating your responsibilities to Corps Liaison Officers (CLO), extortion, non-residence at your operational base, and irregular attendance at work.”

“It is our desire to use this forum to address and put a stop to such acts of misconduct.”

Earlier, the director, Corps Welfare and Inspectorate Department, Mrs Victoria Bosede Okakwu, urged the 133 participants to focus on getting the best out of the training.

She reiterated that the training was basically designed to upgrade the field inspectors of the scheme with modern skills and techniques for optimal performance, while implementing policies at the grassroots.

The Corps Inspectors were drawn from the 19 northern States.