News
Set Up State Governing Boards, NYSC Tells Govs
In order to enhance the success of its programmes, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), yesterday, called on the 36 state governors to constitute and empower governing boards for the scheme in their domains.
The Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, made the appeal in his keynote address at the ongoing meeting of NYSC’s top management with representatives of the state governments and the FCT administration, in Abuja.
Ibrahim noted that doing so was in line with the provisions of Section 6(2) of the NYSC Act, which identified the statutory functions of the State Governing Boards.
He, however, regretted that “there are still many states that have not commenced any process of putting Governing Boards in place.”
Ibrahim also urged the governors to set up functional NYSC Local Government Committees in each of the LGAs in their territories.
While stressing the need for the provision of a conducive environment for the orientation programmes, he reiterated the scheme’s target of expanding the carrying capacity of each camp to 5,000 corps members.
The NYSC DG commended the 24 states that recently maintained and upgraded their camp facilities, and urged them to sustain their commitment to the welfare of corps members.
“I call on states whose Orientation Camps are still in degraded conditions to rise to the occasion and help in putting the facilities in proper shape. I also want to remind all states of our request for the expansion of the carrying capacity of each Orientation Camp to, at least, 5,000 in view of the rapid growth of the corps population,” Ibrahim stressed.
He also called for a review of the stipends paid to corps members in their states, given the prevailing economic situation.
The DG tasked stakeholders to ensure the safety of all corps members and NYSC staff in all service locations across the country.
“May l also reiterate our appeal to state and local governments, as well as other stakeholders such as traditional rulers, religious and community leaders to step up their support in this regard,” he added.
Ibrahim maintained that corps members were trained to identify the needs of their host communities and work with the community members to execute solution-driven projects.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that support for community development services will complement and fast track government’s efforts at rural transformation.
“It is, however, demoralizing to note that the level of support for community development activities of the scheme is continuously declining, thereby raising concerns among stakeholders,” he said.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.