21st February, 2012
The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has made a call to the management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to ensure that posting of prospective corps members are evenly distributed so as not to continually overburden some states, while denying others the benefits of the scheme.
He said a situation where the majority of corps members are posted to major cities to the disadvantage of the rural areas does not fulfill the objective of the scheme, which is to promote cultural integration and developmental programmes for the grassroots.
The Governor, represented by his deputy, Hon. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire made the statement in Lagos at the opening of a pre-orientation workshop for the management of the NYSC, with the theme: “re strategizing the NYSC orientation course, towards enhancing corps members’ potentials” held at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Commenting on the theme of the workshop, Governor Fashola said the management of the NYSC, under the new leadership of Brig. Gen. Nnamdi. Okore-Affia, must reposition the scheme and re-strategize its management and workforce towards making the NYSC relevant in spite of its present challenges, noting that “the NYSC remains a tool for uniting Nigerians and making us appreciate each other’s beliefs and thoughts.”
He said Lagos State has remained a worthy partner of the NYSC over the years and assured that the government will continue to support the NYSC and provide Corp members posted to the state with the enabling environment to discharge their call to national service.
The Governor disclosed that the state government is committed to building a new permanent orientation camp in the state but appealed for a downward review of members posted to the state, which currently stands at 21,000, noting that the large population overstretches the resources of government and the available facilities.
Fashola, while praising the commitment and dedication of Corp members in the state, noted that they have assisted the government in very critical sectors like health, transportation management, the environment and other numerous community development projects, which the people, especially at the grassroots appreciate and enjoy.
The Governor however regretted that in spite of the sterling performance of the Corps members in the state, they have not been worthy of recognition at the Presidential honours.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig. Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia, said the pre-orientation workshop is designed to bring together key participants of the orientation course to assess performance of previous exercise and map out ways of improving on them.
The DG said the NYSC is aware of the unemployment rate in the country and is re-positioning the orientation course to provide Corp members with skill acquisition and entrepreneurial knowledge to prepare them for self-employment after their national service, hence, the training of key facilitators with the required skill to train Corp members.
Gen. Okore-Affia while thanking the Governor for his support to the scheme and Corp members posted to the state said the hosting of the pre-orientation in the state for the second time in five years is an attestation to the mutual relationship that exists between the NYSC and the Lagos State Government.
The workshop which is expected to last for three days is being attended by senior management of the NYSC from the headquarters in Abuja, State Coordinators from the 36 states of the federation, government representatives and other partner agencies of the NYSC.