….Says, ‘it should be well-funded’
From: Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Governor Nasir el-Rufai, of Kaduna State, on Wednesday, described the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as ‘a united force for Nigeria’ hence the need to do everything legal to protect the scheme.
The governor said this when the leadership of NYSC led by its Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure paid him a courtesy visit shortly before the commencement of a 3-day 2017 batch ‘B’ pre-orientation workshop in Kaduna.
The governor also suggested that the scheme be well funded to help it do better on its mandate.
The governor, who himself did his one year mandatory service, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in 1980 said, the state government would do whatever it could within its resources to make the scheme successful because it is the only means to unite the country.
“From what I hear, many young people now don’t like going to states other than where they are comfortable. They think places where they have never been are hostile communities and they don’t want to go. But I will like to use this medium to appeal to our young people to be adventurous.
“NYSC will make you go to places you have never been because that is how you know more about Nigeria. This is what I will like to see the NYSC do more of instead of fixing postings and all that. Just allow the computer to post people based on where they have gone to school.
“Post them to where they have never been. That’s the only way we can bring Nigeria together so that young Nigerians understand that our problems as a country are the same all over.
“If you stay in one corner you will think that other parts of Nigeria don’t have the problems that you have. But when you go out as I learnt when I went to serve in Abeokuta in 1980/81, I realized that Nigeria was about the same and we are facing the same challenges. Some more seriously than others, but the challenges are the same. That inculcated in me, a Nigerianness that did not exist and I think is an experience everyone should have.
“The Scheme should be properly funded to strengthen our unity in diversity. So whatever the NYSC Scheme needs to be successful for the corps members to be well taken care of, for them to go where ever they want to be or needed in Nigeria, I think we should fund it.
“It is not like investment that you see the return. It is not like building a road, but an investment in human capital that unite the country for the next 30 – 40years. So, it is a huge return on investment if properly funded”, added the governor.
The governor, however, thanked the NYSC for the choice of Kaduna State for the National workshop, hoping it would boost the economy of the State while it last quickly added that, the development was an indication that the security situation in the state has improved greatly.
Elsewhere, the NYSC boss said the choice of Kaduna State to host the event was in appreciation of the support and hospitality the scheme enjoys from the state government and the good people of the state.
He then promised out that his tenure would continue to build on the solid foundation of the scheme and come up with initiatives that will promote the scheme and helping in achieving its national integration mandate as largest youth mobilization organization in Nigeria.