President Muhammadu Buhari says the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has justified the reason for its establishment by enhancing unity and integration among Nigerians.
The Nigerian leader made the declaration in Abuja on Thursday, at the 2023 edition of the Presidential NYSC Honours Award ceremony, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the scheme, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Today’s event is another landmark in the annals of the service corps which for five decades has not only been synonymous with national development but has also become a pivot of national unity and integration.
“No doubt the scheme has justified the reason for its establishment as an interventionist agency with the core mandate to build bridges of national unity across the length and breadth of the country thereby pulling down walls of ethnicity and divisions.
“The multiplicity of measures contracted over the years by corps members cutting across boundaries of ethnicity and religion is no small measure to justify my assertion,” he said.
The President granted automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service to the 65 former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), highlighting numerous achievements of the scheme since its establishment 50 years ago.
The President said out of the 65 recipients, 52 individuals received the Presidential Honours Awards, while the remaining 13 were physically challenged ex-Corps Members recognized under the NYSC Hope Alive programme.
Scholarship
In addition to the employment, President Buhari also disclosed that both groups would be awarded scholarships to pursue their education up to the Doctorate Degree level at any university of their choice within the country.
He also announced a cash prize of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250, 000.00) for each of the top award winners, and Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200, 000.00) for other award recipients, including the physically challenged ex-Corps members under the NYSC Hope Alive Programme.
Consequently, the President issued a directive to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the Minister of Education to ensure adherence to the employment offer and the granting of scholarships.
President Buhari also used the occasion to pay tribute to Corps Members from the batches being honoured, that lost their lives under various circumstances while serving the nation.
‘‘But for their transition, some of them might have been here today as part of the honourees. May God grant their souls peaceful repose. They remain our heroes and heroines. The Nation shall continue to remember their sacrifices towards building a strong, indivisible and egalitarian entity,’’ he said.
The President also sympathised with the ex-Corps Members that sustained varying degrees of disability during the service year, acknowledging their significant sacrifices for the progress of the country and assuring them that the nation stands in solidarity with them.
‘‘Your labour shall not be in vain,’’ he said.
The President also congratulated the founding fathers, past and present managers of the NYSC on the Scheme’s Golden Jubilee, commending their enduring faith, which has maintained NYSC as a vital platform for mobilizing the youth towards national unity and development.
President Buhari praised all Nigerians who have answered the call for National Service in the past fifty years for their patriotic zeal and commitment to the NYSC mandate.
‘‘The multiplicity of marriages contracted over the years by Corps Members, cutting across the boundaries of ethnicity and religion in no small measure, justifies my assertion,’’ he said.
President Buhari also expressed his deep appreciation to retired General Yakubu Gowon, the founding father of the Scheme, who conceived the idea of the Corps and brought it to fruition on May 22, 1973.
‘‘The NYSC has continued to afford successive batches of Corps Members as the veritable platform to make meaningful contributions, in the various spheres of our national life,’’ he said.
Commendation
The President specifically commended the Corps Members for their role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by producing and distributing essential items such as face masks, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, and providing food and other relief materials to the needy people across the country.
He also applauded their discipline and neutrality when serving as an ad hoc personnel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including during the 2023 General Elections, which contributed to enhancing the credibility of the electoral system.
Recognising the crucial role of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development program in diversifying the national economy towards a more production-oriented model, President Buhari assured continued government support for youth initiatives.
He also appreciated the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers implemented by the NYSC and recognised the support of the First Lady, Dr. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, who donated a well-equipped ambulance for the operation of the NYSC Mobile Clinic.
President Buhari called on individuals and corporate bodies to emulate this gesture to enhance access to quality healthcare, especially in rural communities.
On the need to reinvent the NYSC through the establishment of a Trust Fund, President Buhari said he has been ‘‘briefed adequately’’ on the matter and commended the Management for the initiative.
He pledged his support for any genuine effort aimed at assisting the Scheme in achieving its time-tested objectives.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, while commending the former corps members chosen for the Presidential Honour, said their sacrifices and commendable contributions, reflect the positive values they embodied during their service year.
Deep commitment
Dare listed the N75bn NYIF, the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES), and the National Young Farmers’ Scheme (NYFS) as enduring legacies of the Buhari administration’s deep commitment to the well-being and development of Nigerian youth.
Also, he said the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development has actively pursued initiatives such as Digital Skills Acquisition, Employability, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership (DEEL), as well as the Work Experience Programme (WEP), among others, for the benefit of our youth.
In his address of welcome, Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, thanked President Buhari for the massive support the scheme has enjoyed during his tenure.
He said the award ceremony was for corps members of the year 2019;batches ‘A’ ‘B’ and ‘C’ , who made immense contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeira.
Lateefah Ibrahim
