Kogi state Governor, Captain Idris Wada has urged new corps members posted to the state to focus on developing their potential and skills to create job for themselves instead of waiting endlessly for employment opportunities.
Captain Idris Wada, who was represented by the state commissioner for youths and sports and chairman NYSC Governing Board, Mr. Attah Sule Ikani made the appeal at the state NYSC camp, during the fly-off of the swearing-in for the new corps members posted to the state.
According to him, aside the symbol of unity which the scheme represents in Nigeria, NYSC’s contributions to further integration of the state cannot be over emphasized.
“We all witnessed the role corps members played during elections recently and especially the just concluded 2015 general elections.
“It is an evidence that corps members are Nigeria’s heroes for their support and role played in the growth of the nation and substance of its democracy.
“We are happy to welcome you to Kogi state, confluence of opportunities, we encourage you to focus on your primary assignments and continue to be bridges across cultures, religion to achieve the national purpose of the scheme,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Kogi state NYSC coordinator, Mrs. Olabanji Agatta dwelled on the necessity of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme, SAED saying, it is aimed at encouraging youth empowerment and eradicating poverty in line with government policies.
Olabanji noted that the situation in the country as regards youths’ joblessness and its effect on increasing poverty level, has made youths empowerment and involvement in small and medium scale businesses inevitable.
She said, “Kogi state is the nation’s confluence of opportunities, I therefore implored you to learn a business at SAED to tap into available opportunities to aid self-development and self-reliance.
“The orientation camp in which you have stepped into is, no doubt, quite different from the environment and comfort which is designed to instill discipline, physical and psychological training required for the challenges of the service year and beyond.
“Your deployment here has been made possible by your perseverance toward attaining eligibility for a call to national service and I congratulate you for this feat.”
Afterwards, about two thousand corps members on the parade ground took an oath to be proud of their fatherland, appreciate and cherish the culture, tradition, arts and language of the nation.
Signed
Osuji Victoria
Head PR unit, Kogi State NYSC
