Guard against misrepresentations on social media, NYSC Overseer urges staff

Members of staff of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been urged to step up monitoring of the social media and traditional news outlets to guard against public misrepresentations of the scheme’s activities.

The Director overseeing NYSC, Mrs Christy Uba, made the call during the opening of the 2022 NYSC Press and Public Relations, Protocol and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officers’ Workshop in Abuja on Thursday.

It was reported that the workshop is entitled: “Enhancing the Corporate Image of NYSC: Quintessential Role of Public Relations Officers.”

Uba said it was important for the scheme’s public relations officers to step up monitoring of the social media to promptly correct misconceptions and fake stories peddled by fraudulent or mischievous persons.

According to her, public relations practice is dynamic, responding appropriately to emerging challenges and the peculiarities of the operating environment.

She added that “let me also remind you of the need to continue to leverage on both the traditional and the new media to ensure effective publicity for the contributions of the scheme to the socio-economic development of our dear country.

“It is also on this premise that the management established the NYSC Radio and Television Stations, which are already enhancing the visibility of the scheme in the media space and allowing us to tell our story without any encumbrance.

“In this connection, I, hereby, direct all state secretariats to acquire High Definition cameras and other ancillary equipment to enhance the operations of the stations.”

While responding to questions from newsmen on the leadership of the scheme, Uba assured that irrespective of the absence of a substantive Director-General, staff of the scheme would continue to work as a team.

“Yes, we want to restore the confidence of staff and the youth corps members so that they know that it is still the NYSC, and nothing has changed.

“We are going to work as a team and be more professional in the way or manner we do our jobs,” she said.

Earlier, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr Eddy Megwa, said that the training would enable participants to stay afloat on their duties and ensure that nothing was left to chance in managing the image of NYSC.

He added that it would also empower them with up-to-date information management strategies for engagement of the scheme’s publics on its policies, programmes and activities.

He said “the quest for enriched training necessitated inclusion of training on protocol and FOIA and selection of seasoned professionals with impeccable backgrounds and knowledge in these critical aspects of corporate image management as our resource persons.

“We are, therefore, confident that at the end of this programme, the participants would be better equipped for optimal discharge of their professional responsibilities.”

Megwa said that in the area of implementation of FOIA among Ministries, Departments and Agencies, NYSC was rated among the best nationwide, underscoring management’s resolve to constantly hold annual training for FOIA desk officers.

He added that the invaluable contributions of NYSC public relations personnel over the years in sustaining the scheme’s positive image, through the traditional and new media, have ensured the scheme’s enhanced visibility in the media space.