NYSC seeks more robust partnership with employers for Corps members’ better welfare

The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has called on corps members’ employers to help the scheme succeed by discouraging corps members from stage-managing their rejection from the Places of Primary Assignment.

Brig. Gen. ShuaibuI Ibrahim, Director General of NYSC made the appeal at the NYSC Corps Members Employers Workshop, held in Awka.

Ibrahim who, was represented by Agbor Ndoma, director in charge of Human Resources, Development and Training, Enugu Area Office, said the NYSC since inception had positioned young men and women on national service as change agents and key contributors to the development of the country.

The theme for this year’s Workshop, ‘Optimising the NYSC/Corps Employers Partnership for National Development in the Context of the New Normal.’

He said the theme was carefully chosen to emphasise the efforts to sustain the impact of the Scheme in the face of the challenges thrown up by the COVID-19.

He said in spite the challenges of the pandemic, it provided an opportunity for the NYSC to assert its continued relevance through the harnessing of the knowledge, skills and talents of our young men and women on National Service.

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According to him, while the nation was on lockdown, the Scheme remained very visible as we mobilised corps members to make various interventions in support of the overall national efforts to contain the virus.

As the COVID-19 prevention protocols are still in force, I call on employers to continue to carry Corps members along in their respective workplaces with priority given to their safety.

“I would like to draw attention to some observed shortcomings on the part of Corps Employers, including the following, which need to be tackled headlong; delay in applying/not applying at all for the services of Corps members and expecting them to be posted.

“Increasing rejection of Corps members, aiding Corps members to stage-manage their own rejection; under-utilisation of Corps members; delay in issuance of monthly clearance to deserving Corps members;

“There are also those who aid the abscondment of corps members and fail to provide statutory welfare needs of Corps members and inadequate security for them.

“I wish to remind you of a subsisting circular from the Federal Government, which prohibits rejection of Corps members by Government Ministries Department and Agencies,” he said.

On her part, Yetunde Baderinwa, coordinator of NYSC in Anambra State, thanked Corps members’ employers for coming out in their numbers to participate in the workshop.

Baderinwa said the NYSC would continue to supply the requisite manpower to compliment the needs of employers but reiterated that the Scheme reserved the sole right to approve travels for corps members while their employers merely endorsed.

She said corps members should not be subject to percent of sales as obtained in marketing companies but must be fixed and paid when due.

The Coordinator said no employer should pay corps members below N10, 000 to serve as motivation and augment the Federal Government allowance.

She expressed confidence that the workshop would engender more robust NYSC/employers relationship, adding that the workshop would be conducted in all the four Zonal offices in the state.