NYSC Members Seek Govts’ Support On Accommodation

Some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Lagos State have appealed to the federal and state governments to provide affordable accommodation for them.
They told journalists in separate interviews that many of them were facing serious challenges in securing accommodations in the state and this was hampering their service efficiency.
They said that most of them had to rely on temporary accommodations being provided by the National Christian Corpers’ Fellowship, the Muslim Movement Society and the National Association of Catholic Corps members, respectively.
Miss Goodness Okonje said that accommodation and security remained the major challenges confronting corps members serving in the scheme in recent times.
Okonje urged various the governments to address these critical areas which she said had made the scheme rather difficult for the corps members.
She said that, though, the scheme was still very relevant to the unity of Nigeria; there was the need for an urgent review of the scheme’s goals and objectives.
Okonje alleged that most corps members spent their allowances on accommodation, especially in Lagos state, where almost everything was expensive.
“One of the things I will want government to review in the NYSC Act is the issue of provision of accommodations and security for corps members, posted outside  states other than theirs to serve.
“Many corps members posted outside their base encounters several problems with securing accommodations during the one-year period the scheme lasts for every batch.
“Majority are homeless for months and will have to squat with others who have accommodation.
“Even when we secure an accommodation, it is too expensive,’’ the corps member said.
Okonje urged the government to sustain the scheme, but said that the act establishing it should be reviewed to reflect the present day realities in the country.
“I do not think that the NYSC should be scrapped.
“It is a very good scheme that brings youths from different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds together under one umbrella.’’
Another corps member, Mr Babatunde Lateef, said that government should expand the facilities at the orientation camps due to the large turnout of graduates, participating in the scheme yearly.
Lateef said that the scheme was a very good platform to train youths, but lacks basic amenities.
“If you have somebody who is educated and knows what he or she wants, definitely, such a person will benefit positively from the scheme.
“But if one has a closed mindset; then, such will not get anything meaningful out of it.
“We cannot overrule accommodation; we now have more graduates passing out from our tertiary institutions participating in the scheme; unlike in the past.
“So, this has made efforts by corps members to secure accommodation more difficult.’’
Lateef also said that the corps members who were not resident in Lagos State were having serious accommodation problem compared to their colleagues serving in other states.
“As a corps member, when you add your monthly allowance to the monthly stipend from the state government, all is not enough to rent an apartment in the state.
“Government should help corps members who are posted outside their state with accommodation.
“By so doing, the host state will be assisting the corps members to solve one of their major challenges.
“I also want the government to set up a platform to monitor the progress of corps members after their service year,’’ he said
Miss Amaka Uzorchukwu said that corps members were being exposed to dangers while trying to secure accommodation on their own and within a terrain they were not familiar with.
She said that this could be a very worrisome situation from the corps members as they could be duped by unscrupulous agents.
Uzorchukwu lamented the lack of housing facilities for corps members outside the orientation camp.
“Many corps members have been duped in the process of trying to secure accommodation, it is not easy to survive when you are outside your base,“ she said.
However, an official with the NYSC told our correspondent in Lagos on condition of anonymity that the provision of accommodation was not part of the scheme’s mandate.