The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has warned corps members to stop cutting corners while reminding them that their services to the nation transcends beyond service year.
The director general disclosed this to the 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream 1) corps members during the virtual meeting, yesterday morning in all orientation camps and NYSC formations nationwide.
Ibrahim encouraged the members of the service corps to remember always the last line of the Oath of Allegiance sworn to during the Swearing in Ceremony and abide by it.
The one star General, who is an associate professor urged corps members to live with the reality embedded in the said portion which says ‘always remember the motto and strive continuously to live up the ideals of the National Youth Service Corps during and after my service year’.
“My dear children in the national service, I am addressing you this morning as a father and director general of NYSC. You have to use your participation in this laudable programme to promote national unity and integration. The government at all levels have invested much in you and you have to be patriotic.”
“I want to admonish you not to cut corners and desist from offering or taking bribe as both persons are liable in the court of law. NYSC keeps records and any negative thing you do today will hunt you in the nearest future”.
“NYSC has continuously been building for leadership, crop of disciplined, honest and detribalised Nigerians who are well groomed and cerebral right from the orientation camp and indeed throughout the service year and beyond to ensure that the unity of this country is sacrosanct and non-negotiable,” he said.
The NYSC DG warned that corps members should desist from embarking on night journeys as this is extremely dangerous for the corps members, and brings negative publicity to the scheme when unforeseen circumstances happen.
He also commiserated with the management of the scheme, state governments and families of the five prospective corps members who lost their precious lives recently, praying such will never happen again.
“However, I wish to let you know that the unfortunate incident occurred late into the night but I am using the opportunity provided by this address to reiterate our commitment to providing adequate security and welfare to all our corps members nationwide”, he promised.
In closing remarks, the NYSC Number One Corps Member admonished the corps members to take their personal security and well-being seriously by taking the Covid-19 vaccine as against the conspiracy theory circulating on social media.
“NYSC loves you just like your parents do. There is no harm in taking the vaccination. Ensure that you take Covid-19 vaccine to protect yourselves and others around you because the nation wants you alive.
“Disregard all the fallacies that the social media is churning out concerning the effects of the vaccination. I have taken the two jabs likewise all the officers that are travelling to the camps with me. We don’t want to keep you perpetually at home and that is why the Federal Government is investing hugely to protect you right at the point of entering the service and indeed throughout the service year,” he said.
The NYSC helmsman of the leading youth organisation in Sub-Saharan Africa, enjoined corps members to use social media to promote the objectives and advance the cause of the scheme.
“Don’t promote fake news or forward every news or reports sent to you without verification but use it to promote our national unity. You are expected to use the platform to preach unity and love and not to use it to discredit the activities of the scheme”
“NYSC has various social media handles and accounts you can use to verify all that you need to know about NYSC but if you go against this advice, you will be culpable for your actions”, he concluded.
He wished the corps members a successful orientation course and a fruitful service year with admonition to them to serve the nation diligently and with unflinching commitment and steadfastness.