By Habibu Harisu
No fewer than five corps members are to repeat their service year in Sokoto state, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said.
The NYSC State Coordinator, Alhaji Muhammad Nakamba, who disclosed this during the passing out parade of the 2021 Batch A, Stream II corps members in Sokoto on Thursday, said that the disciplinary measure was to serve as deterrent to others.
Nakamba also said that 11 other corps members had had their service year extended.
He said that the affected corps members were sanctioned for various offences, ranging from absconding to absenteeism during the service year.
According to him, the scheme has zero tolerance for truancy during the service year.
He also said that 891 corps members passed out, with two receiving the ”Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar” awards for their outstanding contributions toward uplifting the living standards of the people in host communities.
The coordinator thanked Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for his love and support for the scheme over the years, especially the sustenance of payment of allowance to corps members.
“I also seize this opportunity to thank the Sultan of Sokoto for his unflinching support to the scheme. This is a demonstration of his love for the youth and NYSC in particular,” he said.
Nakamba said that the scheme was determined to contribute to the accelerated development of the state, in consonance with the policy and programmes of the Tambuwal-led administration.
He noted that the scheme posted many corps medical personnel to rural areas, adding that this would go a long way in addressing the shortfall in personnel in the state health sector.
”The corps medical personnel on their various health outreaches have attended to more than 3,000 rural community members across the state.
“Recently, the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers programme attended to more than 450 people in Wamakko and 589 in Kware Local Government Areas of the state,” he said.
The coordinator also said that greater percentage of the corps members were posted to schools to teach and open extra mural centres for students who could not pass WAEC and NECO SSCE examination at first sitting.
According to him, this will further ensure educational development of the state.
He urged the outgoing corps members to be good ambassadors of the scheme and also maximise the skills acquired and entrepreneurship learnt during the service year.
Tambuwal, represented by the state Head of Service, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad, promised to support the scheme and urged the corps members to explore the opportunities provided by service period.
The governor advised corps members to strive toward ensuring unity of the nation, promoting productive engagements, shunning drug abuse and all forms of restiveness. (NAN)
