Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Nasarawa State, Mrs. Zainab Isah has announced the extension of service of at least 20 corps members serving in the state for various forms of misconduct during the service year.
Speaking today in Lafia after a passing out parade of some corps members in Lafia local government area of the state, Isah said the affected persons engaged in acts not in sync with the NYSC extant laws.
She said some got their service year extended by two weeks, some three weeks while others got longer extension depending on the gravity of misconduct and what the NYSC bye-laws stipulate as sanction.
Isah said some of the affected persons travelled out their places of primary assignment without permission while some who obtained permission before travelling extended their leave.
“We have 20 corps members that have disciplinary cases. Some of them missed one allowance or the other because they were not around. Either they travelled without permission or they travelled with permission but extended their leave without informing NYSC.
“So those allowances they missed are the ones that will be given to them during their extension of service.
The coordinator also said the extension of the erring corps members’ service year was not done arbitrarily.
She said the decision was the outcome of the meeting and recommendations of the state’s NYSC disciplinary committee
“We have a committee on corps discipline, comprising all assistant directors and all heads of branches in the secretariat. The state coordinator is not a member.
“When this body sits, they look into the cases and invite the concerned corps members to defend themselves. At the end, a decision is taken strictly in accordance with NYSC bye-laws,” she said.
Isah expressed disappointment that some corps members were not taking advantage of the government’s effort to improve the scheme.
“I am really disappointed that even with the noble effort of government through this scheme some people are rather misusing the opportunity instead of taking advantage of what NYSC is offering,” she stressed.
While appreciating the corps members for their patriotism and perseverance during the service year, Isah advised them to be self-reliant and employers of labour rather than seek for white collar jobs.
“They should go ahead with what we taught them in camp. They should just continue with those trainings and I am sure those trainings will see them through and in no distance time, they too will be employers of labour,” she said.
She also commended some corps members who distinguished themselves during the service year although their names were yet to be submitted to the state NYSC governing for awards.
“We have five corps members who distinguished themselves based on the contributions they made in their places of assignments.
“They did exceptionally well but we are yet to submit the list to the state government because the NYSC governing board is yet to hold a meeting on it,” she said.
About 1, 957 Batch B, Stream 11 Corp members successfully completed their service year and were issued certificates of national service at a low key passing out ceremony at various NYSC zonal offices in the state.
