From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has ordered the immediate payment of local allowances of 2016 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Batch ‘A’ stream I and II owed by the state before they passed out.
Some of the Corps members; Daily Sun gathered; were owed three to six months local allowances while serving in the state.
The State Coordinator of NYSC, Alhaji Lawal Turawa, who confirmed this, on Thursday, during the passing out ceremony of 1,598 Batch ‘A’ stream II Corps members, disclosed that the state government had deplored accountants to various banks to disburse their arrears into their accounts.
According to Turawa, “As am speaking to you now, the governor has deplored accountants to various banks to deposits all your arrears which include those that had passed out. On Wednesday, around 7:00p.m., the governor sent for me and when I got to Government House and all his cabinet members were there.
“He demanded for the number on months the state owed corps members and the total number of corps members serving in the state. We have furnished them with the data. So, as am addressing you now, the government’s officers are in various banks to upload the money to corps members various accounts”, he said.
Turawa, who commended Governor Bagudu over his fatherly love and passion for the corps members, said that the NYSC would forever be grateful to his administration.
Turawa disclosed that of 1,598 Batch ‘A’ Stream II that just passed out, three absconded from the service, saying that two of them would repeat the service,. He also said that five of them received state awards.
He advised the out-going corps members to continue to be agents of unity wherever theyu fopu8njd themselves in future.
While speaking with newsmen, a corps member, Nkwegu Marcel Ogbuinya, who was deplored from Ebonyi State, described NYSC as a federal government agency that promotes unity of Nigeria.
He added that the scheme had given him the opportunity to acquire vocational skills stressing that the “the experience I had during the service would help me a lot to survive in the labour market.”