The Special Adviser to the President on Social Protection Plan, Mrs Maryam Uwais has urged the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, to provide succour for the vulnerable and out-of-school children in the country.
Mrs Uwais made the appeal on Wednesday during her courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim at the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the NYSC, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, Uwais said her committee is saddled with the responsibility of taking school-age children off the streets, thereby adding value to their lives.
Uwais, also said that her committee had visited Gombe, Ekiti, Kaduna, Sokoto and Borno states, said efforts were on-going to sensitise women and non-formal education tutors on the dangers of using young children as street hawkers and beggars.
“We want NYSC’s support to actualise this mandate. We can’t do it alone and we plead with NYSC to join us in giving hope to the vulnerable and poor children in the country,“ she said.
The Special Adviser also revealed that her committee is working with many Federal Government Agencies, including State Governments towards ensuring that the vulnerable and out-of-school children are well catered for and also given a new lease of life.
“We want to add value as we are looking at agriculture, malnutrition, digital skills, entrepreneurship, sports, addressing trauma, curbing violence and addressing special needs.
“We also want to engage the mothers to learn nutrition, good hygiene and also bring their children for birth registration, vaccination among others,” Mrs Uwais said.
She, therefore, appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians to support the committee in giving hope and dignity to the vulnerable children in the country.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim in his response, said Corps Members are full of potentials that can he harnessed for national development.
He stated that their previous participation in national assignment is an attestation to the fact that if given a conducive environment, they would render selfless services to the development of the country.
The DG assured the Special Adviser of NYSC’s readiness to support the project.
PIAK
