From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reminded employers of labour to always demand National Service or Exemption Certificate from employees before engaging them.
NYSC Director-General Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, who made the appeal in his keynote address at a one-day workshop for Legal Aids in Abuja on Tuesday, reminded them that there is still an Act in place for it.
He charged the legal officers and corps lawyers participating in the training to redouble their efforts in enlightening the general public on the provisions of the NYSC Acts.
Brig-Gen Ibrahim further noted that the workshop is in furtherance of our efforts to harness the potentials of the corps lawyers for improved Legal Aid Service to indigent members of the society and to harmonise the operations of the Corps Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) in all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
‘Let me also use this opportunity to call on the legal officers and corps lawyers to redouble efforts at enlightening the general public on the provisions of the NYSC Acts. This is to elicit a greater commitment to the performance of stakeholders roles.
‘It will also help to curtail infractions such as evasion of service, failure to report within the period indicated in the call-up instrument, abscondment as well as presentation of ineligible persons or fake academic credentials for mobilisation.
‘In the same vein, legal officers are expected to step up sensitisation of corps members on the provisions of both the Act and the NYSC Bye-laws during the orientation course. Furthermore, I urge you to use the CLAS platform to sustain your enlightenment of Nigerians on their civic rights and responsibilities.
‘In line with management’s resolve to adequately track our performance at all levels and deepen effective service delivery, I hereby direct the legal unit to collate quarterly reports on the activities of CLAS in all states and the FCT for onward submission to my office.
‘I would like to use this medium to remind all employers in the public and private sectors that it is mandatory to demand the certificate of National Service or Exemption Certificate duly issued by the NYSC before offering employment to any holder of Degree or Higher National Diploma.
‘This is in line with the provisions of Section 12, Sub-Sections 1 and 2 of the NYSC Act, which says: For the purpose of employment anywhere in the federation and before employment, it shall be the duty of every prospective employer to demand and obtain from any person who claims to have obtained his first degree at the end of the academic year 1973-74 or as the case may be, at the end of any subsequent academic year the following –
‘A copy of the Certificate of National Service of such person issued pursuant to section 11 of this Act; a copy of any Exemption certificate issued to such person pursuant to section 17 of this Act; and such other particulars relevant thereto as may be prescribed by or under this Act.
‘It shall also be the duty of every employer to produce on demand to a police officer, not below the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, any such certificate and particulars or copies thereof.
‘Employers are also strongly advised to present the NYSC Certificates of their existing employees to the scheme for authentication,’ he said.