The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed, has confirmed the release of the abducted prospective Corps Members in Kogi State, who were in transit to participate in the orientation course.
Ahmed disclosed on Wednesday in his address at the Gombe State Temporary Orientation Camp while addressing batch C, stream I Corps members posted to the state, on the need to avoid travelling at night, especially from unauthorised parks, adding that they should endeavour to seek approvals from NYSC officials before embarking on any trip.
The DG who didn’t give so many details said he got the news of their release on his way to the Gombe temporary orientation camp, adding that he desired to ensure corps members’ safety.
He said, “Avoid night journeys, on no account, show you travel at night anywhere you are travelling to prepare yourself early enough. You must not get a vehicle from just anywhere but you must go to the approved motor park so that everyone is well known and they will take your name in the manifest before you move.
“Why I’m talking like this is because we have had a lot of difficulties with corps members in the past. As I was coming from Yobe to this camp that was when we got the last set of two prospective corps members kidnapped in Kogi State on their way to the camp, why? Travelling at night, please don’t travel at night am I understood?
“At the end of the camp never travel without taking permission from NYSC officials, from local government, or zonal officials so that you can be documented we don’t pray for anything to happen to any of you and I pray you all will be successful.”
He also harped on the need for correct dressing, warning against unbefitting use of the NYSC costume.
On his part, the Gombe State Coordinator, Dawut Jidda, lauded the DG for prioritising the welfare of Corps members, adding that from N650 meals, it has been augmented to N1,500 to ensure that quality meals are served.
“Gentlemen corps members I told you that before the 2023 batch B, steam I, during batch A, corps members received N650 for their feeding but when our Director-General came onboard he struggled hard to ensure the money was reviewed to N1,500. The DG didn’t stop there he worked hard to ensure that the transportation allowance paid on camp of N1,800 was reviewed to N 3,600 bicycle allowance was also reviewed from N1400 to N2,800”, Jidda said.
Speaking further he lamented that previously mattresses were borrowed before the commencement of camp, stressing that it had stopped following approval to get new foams to serve its population, “Before orientation previously we used to go to College of Education to borrow mattresses but when DG came when the DG assumed office we requested and got approval for 300 new mattresses. We have stopped going to anybody to borrow mattresses,” he said. (PUNCH)
