NYSC advises corps members to shun political activities in host communities

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Tuesday advised the Corps members in Borno to stay away from any form of political activities in their host communities.

The state NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Nura Umar, said this at the closing ceremony of the 2021 batch C stream 1, three weeks orientation exercise in Katsina.

It was reported that the corps members in state were camped in Katsina state due to the insecurity challenges in Borno.

According to Umar, doing such is against the provision of the service corps.

He said that the corps members are not partisan and, therefore, not expected to be involved in any political activity.

He emphasized that politics “is a no go area for the corps members”, adding that the violation of such had consequences as the scheme had punishments for such corps members.

“I enjoin you to perform your duties with diligence and be guided by the provisions of the NYSC Act as well as workplace rules and regulations.

“In keeping with the objectives of the scheme, you are expected to integrate into your host communities while also appreciating and respecting their cultures.

“I have received impressive reports on your participation in the entrepreneurial and vocational training conducted in the camp under the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.

“I encourage you to build on the skills acquired by availing yourselves of opportunities for post-camp training.

“This will go a long way in empowering you for self-employment.

“On our part, we are liaising with financial institutions and other stakeholders with a view to providing start-up loans to enable you to actualise your business dreams.

“I wish to assure you that management will continue to explore avenues for optimising the impact of the programme,’’ he said.

Umar advised the corps members to be security conscious at all times as well as steer clear of acts that could put them in harm’s way such as staying out late at night.

Others are attendance of night parties, visitation of dangerous places and acceptance of car rides from strangers.

“At this juncture, I would like to reiterate our warning against unauthorised journeys and night trips.

“Travelling at night will not only increase the risk of accidents, but also make rescue difficult,” he advised.