The 1, 685 corps members deployed to Akwa Ibom State for the one-year national service have been charged to be security conscious and adhere strictly to camp rules and regulations.
Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Fadah, gave the advice during the swearing-in ceremony of 2022 Batch ‘B’, Stream 1 corps members at NYSC Orientation camp, Ikot Itie Udung, Nsit Atai Local Government Area.
Fadah, who was represented by the State Coordinator, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, cautioned corps members against promoting hatred on social media.
He admonished them to demonstrate a high level of discipline, adding that, “the regimented nature of the camp was intended to instill discipline and build resilience.
“White-collar jobs are no longer available and you should embrace the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), to be self-reliant.
“You are strongly advised to be security conscious at all times and to report any suspicious character or activities around you to the appropriate authorities.
“I implore you to sustain the high level of discipline and enthusiasm you have demonstrated so far, especially by remaining compliant with the camp rules and regulations.”
The director-general urged the corps members to continue to distance themselves from cultism, drug abuse and other social vices.
“I also urge you to avoid using social media for spreading fake news, fueling hatred and other negative purposes.
“Instead, you should deploy the same for the promotion of national unity and development.
“Therefore, I encourage you to avail yourselves of the opportunities for self-employment offered through SAED.
“You are expected to choose from any of the skills areas, and make yourselves available for the training, which starts from the orientation camp.
“On our part, management will continue to work with relevant stakeholders for the success of the programme,” Fadah said.
He enjoined corps members to avail themselves of the once-in-a-life-time opportunity by participating actively in all camp activities.
The Director-General appealed for the support of all stakeholders in the call for the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund, which has reached an advanced stage of legislation.
He expressed appreciation for the support of the federal, state, and local governments, as well as security agencies, traditional rulers and other stakeholders for supporting the scheme.
The Tide’s source reports that the highpoint of the event was the administration of the oath of allegiance on the corps members by the Akwa Ibom Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot, who was represented by Justice Gabriel Ette.