By Stephen Adeleye.
Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has urged the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members posted to the state to be steadfast, innovative and hardworking in order to become better and self reliant at the end of their service year.
Bello gave the advice on Thursday at the swearing-in ceremony of the ‘2020 Batch A Stream l’ corps members deployed to the state at the NYSC orientation camp, Asaya, Kabba.
”Recently, this administration rewarded five Corps members with State Honours Award as a result of their outstanding performances during the service year. ”I call upon you to follow such footsteps with brighter vision, more innovation and hardwork to win more laurels at the end of the service year.
”I urge you to commence this national voyage by respecting the constituted authority in the camp to have adequate orientation for productive service year,” Bello said
The governor, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Musa Idris, urged the corps members to put the nation first in all you do. You are to think first as Nigerians before any other thought.
He stressed the need for the Local Government authorities to inspire more collaboration of corps members in the areas of health, Infrastructure and community development in order to produce greater grassroot development.
He said the corps members and their Lodges in Kogi were secured, noting that peace of mind had increased their devotion to community development programmes and executing infrastructural projects.
He, therefore, urged the security agencies in the camp and in the neighbourhood of the camp to ensure adequate camp security for corps members.
The commissioner in his own speech, delivered by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Slyvanus Akpama, assured the corps members that Gov. Bello’s administration is youth friendly, urging them to be ready to collaborate in developing the state.
The commissioner, who is Chairman of NYSC State Governing Board, said the governor was mindful of the security of corps members, adding that Kogi remained a friendly state that encourage the prosperity of all and sundry.
Earlier, Mr Olayiwola Lasaki, the State Coordinator of NYSC, said the scheme remained effective as a strategy for national rehabilitation, reconciliation and re-construction shortly after the Nigerian Civil War.
He noted that the scheme had constantly increased in the mobilization of corps members from 2,364 population in 1973, to presently over 300,000 population annually, describing it as most enduring Youth Organisation in Nigeria .
He lauded the new corps members’ act of discipline on camp since they arrived, and urged them to continue in this spirit of discipline throughout the camp and the service year as a whole.
He commended Gov. Yahaya Bello’s administration for providing the NYSC Secretariat, Lokoja with a Hilux Utility van, which had enabled regular corps inspection assignment.
He further thanked the governor for the ongoing renovation projects at the camp, while appealing to him on behalf of NYSC Director General, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, for timely completion of the projects.
”We are optimistic that it will be done as soon as possible, Your Excellency. We shall continue to support this administration with prayers even as we carry out the national mandate on youth engineering,” Lasaki said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Oath of Allegiance was administered to 1900 corps members, by Justice Samuel Obayomi, on behalf of the Kogi Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah.
