NYSC set to establish a Trust Fund – DG

The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) says it was intensifying efforts to establish a Trust Fund.

The fund would be used to provide start-up capitals for the corps members after their service years.

The scheme also said that it is working to get a rebate on flight charges for corps members.

This, the service says, is to enable them to embark on safer journeys during their service years.

Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, its Director-General, said this on Monday in Abuja, during his nationwide virtual address to the 2021, Batch ‘B’, Stream II, set of corps members.

The corps members are set to end the NYSC orientation course on Sept. 21, and immediately commence their one-year mandatory national assignment.

They would be deployed to different institutions, organisations and other corps employers, both in the public and private sectors for their primary assignments.

This is contained in a statement issued shortly after the address by Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the NYSC Director, Press and Public Relations Unit of the scheme.

The director-general reiterated the need for the corps members to always seek permission before traveling out of their states of postings.

Ibrahim said: “This would enable the NYSC state secretariats where the corps members are serving to keep track of their movements and ensure their safety at all times.

“If you are going to travel, you must be permitted. Write through your employer to the local government inspector and it will get to the state coordinator for approval.

“You must be security conscious and do not endanger your safety. Under no condition should you travel at night.

“Corps members should not also board vehicles along the road. Your welfare is very paramount to the NYSC.

“Do not board vehicles from unauthorised motor parks and ensure you use only approved motor parks to embark on your journey.

“The NYSC is making efforts to get a rebate on flight charges for corps members that may want to travel by flight.”

The director-general assured corps members that the scheme was working assiduously to enlist all of them into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), for effective medicare as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He advised corps members to ensure that they get the COVID-19 vaccines, to protect themselves and others from the deadly virus.

Ibrahim said that corps members found culpable of requesting rejections from their employers for “greener pastures of postings” would be punished according to the NYSC bye-laws.

“Once you get to your places of primary assignment tomorrow, do not put pressure on your employers for rejection.

“Do not lobby anyone that you want to change your posting or seek relocation. If they write to us that you induced or forced them to reject you, you will be punished.

“As patriotic corps members, it is expected that you accept posting to anywhere you have been posted to and add value to the community.

“No corps employer is authorised to grant permission to any corps member to travel,” Ibrahim said.

The director-general urged corps members to be patriotic in the service to their fatherland and ensure that they add value to themselves, the NYSC and society.

“You have gone through the rudiments of the orientation course, please take advantage of it and see what you can do for your fatherland.

“Let the spirit of the orientation live in you forever as Nigerians. National integration should be your watchword; we should be united as a country,” he said.

Ibrahim warned corps members against the negative use of social media and urged them to always verify any information before sharing it online.

Besides, the director-general charged corps members to continue with the skills acquisition post-camp trainings offered by the scheme.

He assured them that the scheme had partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria, other commercial banks, and Leventis Foundation to support corps members with loans and training.