The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC in Nigeria has refuted media reports with the caption, “How Nigerian top military officers push for establishment of NYSC fund to steal as their retirement package.“
Refuting the publication in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the NYSC, Mr. Eddy Megwa noted that the story is untrue.
According to Mr. Megwa, “It is appropriate to clarify that the Fund which passed public hearing, with civil societies, the academia, among others, fully represented is not a pool of slush fund meant to gratify the financial cravings of top military officers as erroneously stated by the writer of the story,“ he said.
He noted that “the decision to establish NYSC Trust Fund was conceived during a meeting held with some of the Scheme’s stakeholders; notably: the thirty-six State Governments and FCT Administration; and thereafter strongly supported by civil societies, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as well as Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).
“Primarily, the Fund is purposed to address the infrastructural deficit besetting the Scheme in the area of camp renovation and maintenance; upgrading, building and maintenance of Corps Members’ Lodges, among others.
“Statutorily, the Scheme as it were, has a tripartite funding arrangement – the Federal, State and Local Governments, with each having varying degree of responsibilities,“ Mr Megwa explained.
He further stated that over the years, the Scheme has equally partnered governmental and non-governmental institutions in the area of providing start-up capitals to Corps Members to fund their business initiatives under the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme which is a direct answer to the often asked rhetorical question: After the NYSC what next?” He said .
He gave the assurance that the Trust Fund will provide funds to a greater percentage of Corps Members trained under the NYSC Skill Acquisition programme to start-up their businesses.
The Management of the scheme therefore urged the media which they hold in high esteem as a worthy partner to always clarify issues pertaining to the Scheme with the managers before rushing to publish, in order to guard against misleading the public.
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