The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Ahmed Yashau has urged corps employers to prioritise the safety and enhanced welfare of corps members to boost their productivity.
Yashau made this call on Wednesday during the 2023 Corps Employers’ Workshop in Sokoto, which had the theme, “Evolving Strategies for Promoting a Healthy Work/Life Balance for Corps Members: The Role of Employers.” Ahmed stressed that ensuring the safety and improved welfare of corps members would encourage them to perform at their best.
The DG, who was represented by the Deputy Director of the Kaduna Area Office, Alhaji Namadi Hamisu, lamented the increase in corps member rejections, with some corps members resorting to staging their own rejections. Additionally, he highlighted issues such as underutilization of corps members and delays in the issuance of monthly clearances to deserving corps members as challenges facing the scheme.
The NYSC boss noted that some of the lapses experienced included delays in requesting, or not requesting at all, the services of corps members and expecting them to be posted. Abscondment of corps members, ill-treatment at workplaces, a lack of support for corps members’ Community Development Service projects, and insufficient accommodation were among the issues being experienced.
He further explained that the Corps Employers’ Workshop served as an avenue for the exchange of ideas on improving NYSC operations, particularly by providing an enabling environment for corps members to deliver qualitative and efficient services.
He emphasised that NYSC remained committed to fulfilling its objectives, as the scheme had been a vital tool for promoting national unity and accelerating socio-economic development in the country.
“Since the inception of the scheme, the NYSC Management/Corps Employers’ Forum has enabled both parties, who are critical managers of corps members, to continually enhance the capacity for their effective engagement,” the DG said.
According to him, stakeholders should always consider the position of young men and women in national service as change agents and key contributors to the development of the country.
Speaking in his welcome address, the State Coordinator, Alhaji Usman Yakubu Yaro, expressed satisfaction with the reduction in cases of corps members being rejected by corps employers in the state.
He described corps members as highly productive, particularly when they are meaningfully engaged in an enabling environment.
He said, “The percentage of corps member rejections in Sokoto has significantly decreased. This is a result of regular meetings with employers and other critical stakeholders to forge a way forward.
“Most youths are restless because they’re not meaningfully engaged in an enabling environment. But if you create a stable emotional atmosphere, these corps members can give you much more than you bargain for.”
Appreciating the State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, for providing a N5,000 monthly stipend to corps members, Usman called for an upward review of the allowance in view of the prevailing economic situation.
“The governor’s favourable disposition to issues concerning the scheme is a clear manifestation of his youth-driven policies and his determination to ensure that the state continues to be at the forefront of matters affecting the youth.
“Besides, the Governor has been addressing issues such as brain drain, including the recruitment of teachers and medical personnel. On our part, corps members have also been filling the gap.
“But with the prevailing economic situation, 33,000 can barely take care of these basic needs. When someone isn’t settled, it affects the mind.
“The corps members have the energy, initiative, and capacity to adapt to the working environment,” he said.
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