ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps, Mrs Ojugo Iyowuna, says the corps is critical to the promotion of national unity and youths’ integration hence the need for all stakeholders to continue to support the scheme.
She said since the establishment of the scheme by the Yakubu Gowon military administration in 1972, it had brought about national unity, rural development, youth empowerment and skills acquisition.
Iyowuna spoke on Saturday during a solidarity walk/carnival to mark the 48th anniversary of the corps at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
She said: “I am happy to inform you that since the creation of Bayelsa in 1996, the NYSC has contributed immensely to the development of the state in so many areas.
“In education, corps members are playing great roles in the sector. They form a huge part of the workforce in most schools, especially in the rural areas.
“There is no community school that you will not find an NYSC member because of their invaluable services. In the area of rural health, the NYSC consistently deploys its corps medical personnel made up of doctors, nurses, medical lab scientists etc. to complement the manpower in the rural areas.
“In addition, through the quarterly programme tagged, ‘Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers’, over 5,000 residents in select communities in Bayelsa have benefited from our free medical services.
“Through personal and group Community Development Service initiatives, corps members have been able to touch many lives in Bayelsa by embarking on projects that cater to the needs of the people.
“Some of these include construction of libraries, science laboratories, toilets, potable water, sickbays, mass adult literacy, donation of food items to the less privileged among others.”
She said most recently, corps members played an active role in combating the sourge of COVID-19 through production of hand sanitizers, handwashing stands, sensitization programmes and other notable initiatives.
She said the solidarity walk/carnival, which included procession, passing of unity torch, tug-of-war displays and other exciting activities was therefore to remind Nigerians how far the country has gone and what can be achieved going forward.
The state Coordinator called on all stakeholders in Bayelsa and the entire nation to continue to support the NYSC to achieve its goals.
She urged the Bayelsa government, local government areas, corps employers, parents/guardians to enhance the operation of the scheme in the state.
On the proposal to scrap the NYSC scheme by the National Assembly, a corps member, Balogun Joshua, said that security should not be a reason to scrap a programme that has brought unity among the youths from different ethnic groups in the country.
He said: “Because of plane crash in Nigeria, can you now bar flight operations? With all the crashes that have occured, nobody has called for stopping of flights in Nigeria.
“We have had boat mishaps, motorcycle accidents, auto accidents, among others, none has called for such, but why the NYSC that integrates people be scrapped?
“NYSC, which unites the youths of Nigeria should be a continuous process, and even be improved on for better service delivery to Nigeria.”