NYSC DG: If not for our approach, some corps members would have remained as local champions

Shuaibu Ibrahim, director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), says some corps members would have preferred to serve in their locality and “remained as local champions”, if not for the “pragmatic approach of the scheme”.

Ibrahim was speaking on Thursday during an unscheduled visit to the 2019 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) corps members at the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo state.

The NYSC DG said that he was committed to his core mandate of protecting lives of corps members during their service year.

He also cautioned corps members not to ridicule the good name of the NYSC by misinforming the world through unguarded use of the social media.

“The unity of this country lies in your hands and you can only support the Federal Government by agreeing to give your very best through meaningful service to your fatherland outside your comfort zone,” he said.

“If not for this progressive scheme, some of you, for instance, who undertook all their educational pursuits in Ibadan, would have wanted to  work in Ibadan and still wanted to marry in Ibadan.

“But for the pragmatic approach of NYSC, you would have remained a local champion.

“All the state coordinators have been empowered to enforce the right way of dressing by investing in large banners to showcase the appropriate and correct ways of wearing NYSC uniforms.”

The NYSC DG said that he was not always at peace whenever he had to explain to parents why a corps member lost his or her life.

“I am talking to you not only as the director-general of this laudable scheme but as a father who knows and understands very well the psychological trauma parents go through when they lose a child that  they had invested a lot of resources on,” he said.

“Please, I am begging you to desist from making frivolous and unauthorised journeys. When the unexpected happens, I am always very sad to console and explain to parents that we had lost their son or daughter.”

Ibrahim said that any corps member found to have embarked on an unapproved journey would face the full wrath of the law in line with the act establishing the scheme.

Last week, the NYSC DG had warned corps members against involving in cyber crime and other fraudulent acts