Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has promised that his administration would continue to ensure a conducive and secured environment for all corps members participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme serving in the state.
He made the promise, on Thursday, at the swearing-in ceremony for the 2018 Batch ‘B’ (Stream 1) corps members currently undergoing orientation course at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Iseyin.
The corps members, comprising 1,047 females and 1,166 males, totaling 2,213, were officially sworn in by Justice Eni Esan, who represented the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, at the ceremony, where the coordinator of NYSC in the state, Mrs. Ifeoma Anidobi, was the chief host.
The ceremony was graced by the chairman of NYSC Governing Board in the state, Mr. Abayomi Oke, who is also the Commissioner for Youth and Sports as well as representatives of security agencies.
Governor Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Moses Adeyemo, appeal, traditional rulers and “good people of the state to ensure that our resilient corps members are well taken care of in their respective domains.”
The governor also charged the corps members to maximise the opportunities embedded in a programme specially designed by the national directorate of NYSC to train them in some vocations with a view to turning them to entrepreneurs ahead of the post service year.
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Ajimobi, who was the special guest of honour, continued: “As a result of the alarming rate of unemployment among our graduate youths, I urge you all to embrace the robust training which the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) has to offer and key into what the programme entails.
“This will enable you, the corps members to acquire and nurture skills that will turn you into budding entrepreneurs and wealth creators during and after the service year.
“The orientation course, which is the first phase and entry point into the service year, is primarily aimed at inculcating discipline, hard work and integrity in the Nigerian graduate youths.
“It is a programme designed to equip the vibrant and active youth morally, physically, socially and psychologically to prepare the service vanguards to overcome the daunting challenges you might face in the course of your service year.
“It is on this premise that I advise you to avail yourselves of the opportunities provided by the contents of the orientation and have the positive and right attitude that will help you surpass your predecessors’ achievements. A word, they say is enough for the wise.
“To effectively achieve good results, I charge you to establish a healthy relationship among yourselves, and live amicably with others under any given circumstances.
“The core value of the scheme, which is unity in diversity, should be maintained while discipline should be your watchword at all times.”
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The coordinator of NYSC in the state, Mrs. Ifeoma Anidobi, said at the close of registration by 12midnight of July 25, 2018, a total of 2,213 corps members had been registered, urging the corps members to respect the customs and traditions of their host communities, contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities, and be serious with Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED)
She said NYSC encourages inter-tribal marriages among corps members, and so they could engage in healthy relationship that could eventually lead to marrying somebody from another tribe in order to promote unity of the country.