6th February, 2020
Four members of the National Youth Service Corps scheme, representing thousands of others countrywide conveyed their “deepest gratitude” to President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday over the recent increase in their monthly allowances from N19,800 to N33,000.
According to them, “the implementation in January, when we least expected it brought tears of joy to us as we had doubts of the promises earlier made.”
“You have demonstrated that you are a loving and caring father committed to the welfare of his children,” a spokesman for the corps members said.
The corps members, Amina Umar Bello, Agatha Nwakego Aniobi Yinka Olayinka Kolawole and Tim Abasiandikan Udo reiterated their commitment to do their best during their period in the scheme.
“The increase is a wake-up call to us to show more commitment to the affairs of our fatherland. We are great stakeholders in our collective determination of building a prosperous and united Nigeria, the future belongs to us.”
The NYSC members were led to the State House by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and the Director General of the scheme Brigadier General Ibrahim Shuaibu .
President Muhammadu Buhari described the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a laudable one that needs to be sustained as it affords the opportunity for Nigerian youths to understand the country better.
“People come from far and wide; some from Victoria Island in Lagos have not even been to Ikeja. They now find themselves in Daura and other parts of the country. Whenever I go to my town, I get in touch with members; some of them from Lagos, some from Port Harcourt,” he stated.
President Buhari also praised General Yakubu Gowon for introducing the NYSC in 1973, as a compulsory one-year service for Nigerian graduates.
“Whenever I meet General Gowon up till today, I thank him for initiating the NYSC. It is a nationalist and patriotic thinking that led to the development of the scheme,” he added