Brig-Gen- Johnson Olawumi, Director General (D-G), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC),has called on state governments to give more support to the scheme for the smooth running of its orientation camps.
Olawumi made the appeal on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen during his visit to the Nigeria Army School of Education (NASE), Sobi Cantonment, Ilorin in Kwara.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the D-G was at NASE to inspect the facilities that the NYSC would use during the promotion examinations and interview of its staff.
He commended the state governments in the country for their support to the scheme despite the paucity of funds affecting the three tiers of government.
Olawumi said he could not blame any state governments that were unable to the scheme with subventions during its orientation courses as there were many issues competing for their attentions.
“So many things are competing for the states’ attention such as: education, health, agriculture, infrastructure and water.
“If we are not getting the support we used to get from the state governments, it is not that such governors are not happy with the scheme, I think it is because of insufficient funds,” Olawumi added.
The D-G said that despite the lack of fund, many state governments were building new orientation camps, uplifting existing ones and improving on remuneration to corps members.
“I will not blame those state governments who are not doing all these things, but I will continue to count on their support for the scheme,” Olawumi said.
The D-G declared that the call for continuous support became necessary in view of the fact that the corps members were on national assignment outside their states.
“These are their children, they can engage them in areas such as : agriculture, health, education and infrastructural development of their states,” he said.
Brig Gen Olawumi said the NYSC had decided not to encourage pregnant women to take part in orientation courses.
He said pregnant women would be advised to wait and deliver their babies before coming for the national service.
The D-G said this move was in the best interest of such women and to bring effectiveness to the scheme, particularly, the orientation course.
Olawumi had earlier paid courtesy calls on the Brigade Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Brig Gen. Ali Nani, and the Commandant NASE, Brig Gen Lawan Abdulahi.
The NASE Commandant expressed gratitude to the NYSC D-G for choosing NASE as the venue for the promotion examinations and interview of its staff out of many military formation schools across the country.
Abdulahi expressed his readiness to cooperate with the management of the NYSC in order to achieve success, adding that the success of the NYSC was the success of NASE.
