Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Zakari Kazaure has assured corps members posted to serve in Taraba State that the Corp has put in place adequate measures to ensure their safety.
Gen. Kazaure gave the assurance, on Wednesday, in Jalingo, while visiting corps members currently in camp for their orientation programme.
Represented by the Director of Administration and Management, Alhaji Habibu Kurawa, Gen. Kazaure said that the NYSC was aware that this was a political year and leading up to general election.
He assured also that the scheme has put in place measures to ensure the safety of each corps member posted to the state.
“I can assure you that we don’t wait till the election before working for the security of Corp members.
“We have put in place measures to ensure that your accommodations are well guarded and officials on ground have instructions to collaborate with the relevant security agencies in your respective places of Primary Assignment for all you need for your safety and necessary contacts that you’ll need.
“Let me however warn you that you are posted to go and serve and not to go and evangelize. Your concern should be to serve and not to go and indoctrinate your host communities. Conversion of souls is not your concern”, Kazaure assured.
The NYSC Director General also urged the corps members to conduct themselves well and be good ambassadors of their states, tribes, schools and civilised community to their host communities.
He continued, “The society expects a lot from you and so you must work hard to live up to expectations, by consistently remaining responsible and productive.
“Avail yourself of the opportunities in the state to build yourself for self sufficiency after your service year, rather than looking for white collar jobs where people would end up exploiting you”.
Some of the Corp members who spoke to our correspondent said that the assurances have put their minds at rest and they would gladly serve in the state.
Ngwu Tochukwu who hails from Enugu State told our correspondent that, “right from the moment I collected my call up letter, this is the first time that my mind is put at rest. I can now confidently calm my people back in the East and ask them to relax. I am satisfied with the measures put in place for us in the state as assured by the representative of the DG”.
The NYSC DG representative carried out inspection of damage to structures at the orientation Camp caused by rain storm days earlier, in company of the state’s Commissioner of Youths and Sports, Hon. Gambo Ndafor.