By Damilola Akinlotan
The National Youth Service Corps has come a long way in ensuring that the great Nigerian youths do not only pass through the scheme as a usual routine but passed through it meritoriously.
Established on 22nd may, 1973, the NYSC has been used as an initiative to engage, mold and transform the youth population that ultimately contributed significantly to societal development.
To celebtate the 50th anniversary of National Youth Service Corps, the state coordinator Mrs. Mary Chikezie addressed the Corp members who staged a rally commemorating the event to continue the right attitude to work even at their places of primary assignment because it is what the corp members do now that will determine what will happen in the future.
The state coordinator and all local Government inspectors were present at the rally as Corp members were represented by some community development groups which include the Editorial, the Dance and Drama group, Band, the Federal Road Safety Commission and Medical community development service group.
The rally was held in Ado Local Government area; all Corp members present at the rally gathered at Fajuyi Pavilion, Ado Ekiti to create awareness around fajuyi area to Oja Oba .
According to the Editorial President, Oghenede Richard in his speech said: “it gives me joy to address this gathering as we celebrate a noble scheme, National Youth Service Corp at 50. The National Youth Service Corp has come a long way in ensuring that the great Nigerian youths do not pass through the scheme as usual routine but pass through it scheme meritoriously.
“The NYSC scheme which was established on 22ndMay, 1973 has been used as an initiative to engage, mold, and transform the youth population that ultimately contributed significantly to societal development. The number of youths the scheme has mobilized, integrated and empowered over the years is an indication that to a full extent, the scheme has achieved most of its core objectives. It may interest you to note: the nation does not have any outfit where Nigerian youths express themselves and derive benefit from the resources of the country like the NYSC. From birth through the education process, including secondary and tertiary institution, there is not a single programme that gives the Nigerian youth any form of succor like NYSC
In the area of inculcating discipline in the Nigerian youths in any situation; they may find themselves, the orientation camp was made compulsory for Nigerian youth and the orientation exercise is also the first cardinal programme of the scheme.
“It allows the Corp members to be orientated through languages, socio-cultural and development lectures, religious activities, and music-military drills. The expected outcomes of participating in these activities are to increase self-discipline and opportunity ethnic interaction, reduce fear of the unknown, enhance knowing of the county’s development agenda and imbibe the culture of professionalism
“The feeling of nationalism is indispensable to the process of nation building and the NYSC have created a path for its actualization through binding people, helping to develop common ties among Nigerian youths, thereby countering internal agitations and separation calls. It has indeed built a sense of purpose and national pride, and proven to be veritable and dependable in the foregoing of solidarity among Nigerians.
‘In other to ensure mass integration and inter-tribal marriages amongst Nigerian youth national youth service corps has continually encouraged its teeming youths to shun ethnicity and tribal bigotry and this singular act has yielded tremendous outcomes, especially in the area of inter-tribal marriages amongst our corps members. “Equally is the area on integration, most of the corps members settled back in the state they were deployed to, either through gainful employment or entrepreneurship.
“The NYSC was established among others, to promote self-reliance in the Nigerian youths through entrepreneurial development and skill acquisition. SAED programme as a Pragmatic ravaging nations of the world; the mission is to help young graduates to requisite skills and campership as a means of ameliorating mandated that corps members be posted to includes health, education, infrastructure and agriculture has equally ensured a new breath of life to the larger society.
“In the area of health development, the Corps Doctors are found in the remotest area of the nation ensuring that the indigent members of the society can access medical facilities without stress. The quarterly health initiative for rural dwellers has also gone a long way in giving free medical outreach to those who could not access free medical facilities. The educational and agricultural sector has equally felt the Midas touch of the corp members.
” On the area of education, corps members are made to teach at primary and secondary schools, and to some extent assist lecturers in the university. The adverse positive effects of this noble act can be felt in the improvement of grade of students of WAEC and NECO respectively.
“Infrastructural development, the NYSC has devotes its Community development service (CDS) projects embarked upon by cogs members to the nooks and crannies of the nation. Corps members project can be felt in the area of roads rehabilitation and construction, construction of market stalls and drainages, construction of bus stops and installation of the boreholes to mention a few. The collaboration between the NYSC and INEC how also yielded positive fits. The corps members whom participated in the elections are apolitical and trustworthy those has given a new niche of hope to our electoral systems as the corps members or agent of change in our electoral system.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, 50 years of corporate existence of the NYSC witnessed a mirage of great responsibilities and challenges which are insurmountable. The National Youth Service has come a long way in ensuring sanity and all round development in every facet of our developmental goals. As we celebrate our 50years anniversary, I enjoined meaningful individuals, government functionaries to continually cooperate with the scheme in eating that more boundaries are broken”
God bless the National Youths Service Corps
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
God bless Ekiti State”.
