By Dipo Olowookere
The poor state of facilities at various orientation camps across the country is giving Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, something to worry about.
Mr Kazaure lamented that facilities in many of the orientation camps were nothing to write home about and urged the state governments to support the corps.
Speaking at the opening of the 2018 Batch ‘A’ Pre-orientation Workshop, held in Ibadan, on Wednesday, the NYSC boss commended the Oyo State government for its continued support for the NYSC through the provision of standard orientation camp, located in Iseyin, and its routine maintenance.
He stressed that the provision of an enabling environment for the operations of the scheme in the state was commendable, pointing out that the law establishing the NYSC scheme placed the responsibility of provision and maintenance of orientation camps on state governments.
The NYSC boss therefore reiterated his call on stakeholders to live up to their statutory responsibility through provision of necessary facilities at orientation camps so as to make the scheme more effective.
“Permit me to use this occasion to remind all stakeholders that the law establishing the NYSC scheme places the responsibility of provision and maintenance of orientation camps with the state governments.
“On this note, I wish to reiterate our call on them to live up to this statutory responsibility. This call has become necessary in view of the dilapidated state of the facilities in many orientation camps,” Mr Kazaure said.
The DG said that the workshop, with the theme: “Achieving the NYSC mandate through an effective orientation course,” was aimed at evaluating previous orientation exercises with a view to mapping out strategies for the successful conduct of the forthcoming one.
He added that the workshop would set the tone for the 2018 Batch ‘A’ orientation course, through the formulation of policies and operational guidelines for all players involved in the conduct of the exercise.
Declaring the workshop open, Oyo State Governor, Mr Abiola Ajimobi, acknowledged the pivotal role of orientation exercise in igniting the interest of corps members to render service to their fatherland, being their first point of contact to the scheme.
Represented by his Deputy, Mr Moses Alake-Adeyemo, the Governor described the idea of holding periodic review of the NYSC programmes as a step in the right direction.
As a keen watcher of the scheme, Mr Ajimobi expressed happiness that NYSC had continued to live up to the dreams of its founding fathers by grooming youth in the service of the fatherland.
“I am delighted to equally note that the present management of the scheme has made giant strides in making the scheme respond to the dynamics of the society.
“I, therefore, call on the management to consolidate on the many operational innovations it had started.
“Pursuant to the desire of the Oyo State Government to enable the scheme actualize its lofty objectives, we have stepped up efforts geared towards improving the welfare of corps members serving in the state,” the Governor said.
These, he said, included the payment of the corps members’ monthly allowances and provision of necessary assistance to the secretariats for the smooth conduct of orientation courses, among other gestures.
