Posted by From Tunde Sanni in Ilorin on
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps {NYSC}, Brigadier- General Yusuf Bomoi has raised alarm over the extortion of prospective corps members before they are issued their call-up letters for the service year.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps {NYSC}, Brigadier- General Yusuf Bomoi has raised alarm over the extortion of prospective corps members before they are issued their call-up letters for the service year.
Bomoi at the continuation of Batch ‘A' 2006 pre-mobilisation workshop organised by the national directorate of the scheme alleged that Students Affairs Officers of some unnamed schools or NYSC schedule officers have been reported to the scheme for being involved in the extortion act.
The form of extortion, he claimed, was aimed at compelling them to pay money or force them to buy certain publications, which are not recognised by the NYSC.
'Let me warn that this practice should stop forthwith as it is the scheme that is always accused of being responsible for such acts."
He added that the scheme has decided to mount an aggressive campaign to educate the students to refuse to be extorted and to enlighten them on the requirements for mobilisation.
He warned participating institutions in the NYSC mobilisation not to allow the extortion issue to be repeated as the scheme he claimed, would not hesitate to drag any offending official before the appropriate government agencies.
Bomoi stated that the workshop was one of the outlined stages for the mobilisation of corps members, which he said, would reach a climax on February 15, 2006 when the batch ‘A' orientation camp would commence and terminate on March 6, 2006.
He told them that the programme of activities ahead of the mobilisation was choked up and called for high 'sense of integrity, diligence, honesty and meticulousness to ensure that errors, omissions and mistakes are brought are brought to a minimal and tolerable level if not totally eliminated."
In her introductory remarks, the Director Corps Mobilisation Department, Mrs. Funmi Lasaki said that the pre-mobilisation workshop is the traditional take-off point for every batch as it is the preparatory boardroom where all acts for mobilisation processes are perfected.
She appealed to all participating institutions to take all the proceedings of the workshop seriously remarking that deep internalization of the proceedings and resolutions of the workshop would sharpen and improve their knowledge of data collation and enhance their expertise in other areas of NYSC mobilisation requirements.
The Corps Mobilisation Director appealed to the institutions to brace up and face the temptations and challenges of mobilising the youths so that the theme and focus of the workshop can be realised.
Lasaki explained that the theme has not been chosen to incriminate or vilify any institution but was arrived at based on observations during the mobilisation process and the feedback from graduates of the various institutions who were mobilised to participate in the just concluded 2005 Batch ‘B' orientation course.
In his goodwill message, Governor Bukola Saraki noted that the programme was aimed at ensuring an impeccable mobilisation policy in line with the federal government service delivery with a view to curbing malpractices by some schools.
Saraki in his message to the workshop explained his administration support for the scheme and pledged more support in the bid to ensure credible scheme that would meet the aims and aspirations of its founding fathers.