The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), on Tuesday in Kaduna, reminded and admonished employers on the need to improve their duties towards the corps members, to stimulate higher productivity.
The Coordinator of NYSC in Kaduna, Mr. Odoba Abel, made the call at the 2022 corps employers’ workshop.
The theme of the workshop was “Achieving improved productivity of corps members through enhanced welfare and security during the service year”.
Odoba, advocating more on security and welfare of corps members by employers, also observed some lapses to include delay in requesting/not request at all for the services of corps members and expecting them to be posted.
He also frowned at increased rejection of corps members; aiding them to stage-manage their own rejection, under-utilising them and delay in issuance of monthly clearance to deserving corps members.
Odoba also frowed at abscondment of corps members; ill treatment in workplaces, lack of support for corps members’ Community Development Service projects and lack of accommodation among others.
He explained that the corps employers’ workshop served as avenue for exchange of ideas on the improvement of NYSC operations, especially through the provision of enabling environment for Corps members to render qualitative and efficient services.
The state coordinator also noted that in fulfillment of NYSC objectives, the scheme promoted national unity and accelerated socio-economic development of the nation, instilling in youths a tradition of industry at work and of patriotic and loyal service to Nigeria.
“The achievement of these and other objectives can only be sustained through the collective efforts of all stakeholders, including the managers of the corps members, particularly the corps employers.
“Since the inception of the scheme, the NYSC Management/Corps Employers’ Forum has enabled both parties, who are critical managers of corps members, to continually enhance the capacity for their effective engagement.
“We are thus able to position the young men and women on National Service as change agents and key contributors to the development of the country,” he said.
He said the workshop being held annually, would be made quarterly in Kaduna, to ensure more exchange of ideas for improvement of corps employers and the scheme’s operations.
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He called on the employers to ensure keeping up to their roles in the effective implementation of the cardinal programmes and other activities of NYSC.
A corps employer, Mrs Izuegbu lawrencia of Command Secondary School, Kaduna, said the school accommodated and treated them in all humane ways possible to ensure they have wonderful stay.
She said on the day of passing out from camps, they moved with vehicle to transport corps members posted to their school and took them to their lodges.
“We also provide them with food and all their necessities within our capacity, and even retain some of them as casual staff after their service year,” she said.
Lawrencia urged the NYSC to post corps members where they would be accepted, cared for, and ensure they monitor their performance.
Another employer, Dr. Jimoh Ihiovi from Faculty of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, who presented a paper, lamented that NYSC had allowed redeployment of corps members become rampant in the scheme.
He said redeploying or posting corps members to places of their wish, rather than places away from their current environment without valid reasons, was counter development of the scheme’s objective of national unity and integration.
Ihiovi called on other corps employers to prioritise security and welfare of corps members to maximise their organisation’s productivity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum obtained feedbacks from the corps employers and other strategic stakeholders on the strength, weaknesses and potentials of the scheme and devise ways of strengthening its operations.
