From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The management of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has assured parents and guardians that it has concluded arrangements to deploy extra security measures to protect Prospective Corps Members (PCM) travelling to various states across the country for orientation course exercise.
Director General of the scheme, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, made the disclosure fielding questions from newsmen on the sidelines at the 2024 Batch A Pre-Orientation course workshop held in Abuja on Wednesday.
General Ahmed revealed that apart from the usual security tips to the participants in the scheme not to embark on night trips, and to board vehicles at popular approved motor parks, the management will soon release a book containing comprehensive security tips to protect them.
Asked if the management will put extra security measures in place to check the reoccurrence of the prospective corps members kidnap in Zamfara heading to Sokoto, General Ahmed replied: “We have always put extra security measures in place to protect the prospective corps members.
“And like we have been doing, we have always advised them not to travel at night. It must be during the day. We have also told them not to board vehicles outside the approved motor parks because it is no longer those days they get lift from strangers. We have always given them security tips.
“Above all, we have improved and we have even published a book on security tips that we will release during the forthcoming orientation camp. It is a well packaged book containing security measures to help the prospective corps members,” he said.
Still commenting on the security of corps members, earlier in his remarks, he said: “No doubt, there has been a tremendous improvement in this area. However, security remains a matter of priority in all aspects of our operation, especially during Orientation Course.
“Proactive measures must be taken by State Coordinators and other stakeholders to evaluate the security situations in all camp locations. There should be proper surveillance of the camps and adjoining areas before and during the exercise,” he promised.
The NYSC boss equally spoke on the mileage he has recorded as he marks his one year anniversary, he said: “I have recorded so many achievements. We have been able to get approval for the feeding of the corps members. What we use to get before has been doubled. I am very sure that the corps members are being taken care of in their orientation camps.
“We have also gotten approval for the unform the corps members wear. The number of staff we also send for training courses to enhance their performances has tripled what we met on ground. We have sent over 2000 staff on various trainings to improve their efficiency and enhance their productivity.
“On the innovations we have for further improvement, I will say that we have many of them, especially in ensuring that we train the corps members to be self reliant and independent at the end of their service year.
“Our intention is to build the corps members as self reliant employers of labour by the time they leave the service. The training will start at the orientation camps and outside the camps. The good news is that we are in collaboration with critical stakeholders and we are ready to provide non-interest soft loans to any of them that want to establish a business after finishing service.
“We have received support from different companies that want to help the corps members. By and large, our plans is that at end of their service year, the participants of the scheme will be providers of the job instead of job seekers,” he assured.