……Assures ANNHAW of his unalloyed support.
Professor Tunji Olaopa has described the concept of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as one of the best which if properly re-profiled can add great value to Nigeria’s progress.
He, however, said that it is unfortunate that the concept is getting eroded in terms of achieving its core objective. He observed that NYSC was becoming routine and it has also faced a lot of challenges which could defeat its whole essence of achieving national unity.
Chairman made this remark on Friday when the Association of NYSC National Honours Award Winners (ANNHAW) paid him a courtesy call in his office.
He said a situation where Corp members were getting themselves posted out of a community was not patriotic; saying that unfettered re-deployment in the service has made NYSC a scam.
According to him, it was very defeating watching people close to him lobbying for redeployment from states as youth service is no longer taking very seriously. He added that when DG of National Productivity Centre came he was delighted because of what NYSC can contribute to National Development and nation-building.
While encouraging the group to further strengthen the association, he urged them to come up with any grand-ideas that will develop NYSC further as every bit of action from them will go a little deeper. He assured them of facilitating a meeting with policy-makers, particularly the Minister of Youth for further discussions on their ideas on how to move the scheme forward adding that the team can never tell how their small idea can deconstruct conversations.
Earlier in his speech, the President of the Association, Dr. Eluu Emmanuel, congratulated the Hon. Chairman for his well-deserved appointment. He said his credentials were quite intimidating. He also said that Chairman’s patriotism is very evident in the way he handles matters of public administration.
He pointed out that as they display their passion for the country during their NYSC years, the Awardees will wants to continue to extend those community development projects that have brought them to where they are now this was not possible as they felt they were feel underutilized.
He intimated the gathering that during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan, they did not just give awardees jobs but also scholarships up to PhD levels at any university in the world.
Disclosing their mission for the courtesy call is to see how they can be utilized by the government; adding that they were ready to partner with the Commission in the area of innovation and development.
“We have come to see how the Chairman can own this innovation and give us more opportunity to give little details on what we have in stock and help us to work”.
He disclosed that the association has resource persons that can work with the Chairman to strengthen his reform drive as well as engaging stakeholder to see how this resource persons can be optimally engaged.
He said Japa Syndrome speaks to the level of love an individual has for the country stressing that it really takes the love for one country to stay back.
He appreciated the Chairman for the appointment letter issued so far. He, however, implored the Chairman to help them intervene in fast-tracking the capturing of their members under the IPPIS platform as it takes about 2 years before this is finally achieved.
According to him, this process demoralizes them and at the slightest opportunity most Awardees just drop the appointment letters and leave emphasizing that this was a serious concern the association wants the Chairman to look into.
Signed.
Taiwo Hassan
Head (Press & Public Relations).
