Prioritise corps members’ security, welfare – NYSC urges employers

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has urged employers to ensure safety and improved welfare of the corps members for higher productivity.

The NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Yusha’u, gave the charge at the inauguration of the 2023 Corps Employers’ workshop, on Thursday in Sokoto.

The theme of the workshop is: ”Evolving Strategies for Promoting a Healthy Work/ Life Balance for Corps Members – The Role of Employers”.

Represented by Namadi Hamisu, the Deputy Director, NYSC Northwest Area Office, Yushe’u decried spate of corps members’ rejection by employers.

He urged employers to expose corps members who staged manage their rejections, and display bad habits for appropriate sanctions.

He advised them against delays in the issuance of monthly clearance and recognitions to deserving corps members, which he said are some of the challenges facing the scheme.
“Some lapses experienced also included delay in requesting, not request of relevant corps members and expecting them to be posted.

“Absconding of corps members, ill treatment at workplaces, lack of support for corps members’ to Community Development Service (CDS) projects and lack of accommodation were among the hitches being experienced”.

The NYSC State Coordinator, Alhaji Usman Yakubu-Yaro, expressed happiness over the drop in cases of rejection of corps members by employers in the state.

He described the corps members as highly productive, especially when engaged in an enabling environment.

According to him, the feat is achieved sequel to regular meeting with the employers and other critical stakeholders to forge a way forward.

“Most youths are restless because they’re not meaningfully engaged in an enabling environment. But if you create a stable emotional atmosphere, these corps members can give you much more than you bargain,” he said.

The Coordinator lauded the state governor, Ahmed Aliyu for payment of N5,000 monthly stipend to the corps members and called for upward review of the allowances.

“The governor’s favourable disposition to issues concerning the scheme is a clear manifestation of his youth driven policies and his dogged determination to ensure that the state continues to be at the forefront in issues affecting the youth.

“Besides, the governor has been addressing the issues of brain drain, including recruitment of teachers and medical personnel. On our part, corps members have also been filling the gaps.

“But with the prevailing economic situation, N33,000 can barely take care of these basic needs, when someone isn’t settled, it affects the mind.

“The corps members have the energy, initiatives and capacity to adapt to working environment,” he said.

Commenting on the workshop, Yakubu-Yaro said it served as an avenue for cross fertilisation of ideas towards improving its operations, especially through creation of enabling environment for corps members to render quality services.

While reitrating commitment to fulfil its mandate, the Coordinator said the scheme has achieved much in promoting national unity as well as accelerate social and economic development in the country.

He said the NYSC Management/Corps Employers’ Forum has enabled both parties to enhance the capacity of Corps members for their effective engagement.

He stressed the need for the stakeholders to consider the role of members of the scheme as change agents who are key to the development of the country.