#TrackNigeria- Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijani Aliyu, has urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the federal government’s favourable policies to create wealth instead of becoming job seekers.
According to a press release made available to Newsdiaryonline by Mr. Austine Elemue, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, she made the call in Abuja, the country’s capital during the closing ceremony of the 2019 Batch B Stream 2 Orientation Course for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
The release quoted her as saying that ‘‘the government of President Muhammadu Buhari as part of its reform programmes is seriously championing poverty reduction through wealth creation.’’
In this vein, the Minister noted that ‘‘the corps members have been equipped with prerequisite knowledge through skills entrepreneurship development training to enable the youths become not only self-employed, but also employers of labour.’’
The release added that she used the occasion to remind them that the Federal Capital Territory is beyond Abuja metropolis, stressing that their services are needed more in the rural communities in the territory.
Dr. Ramatu Tijani Aliyu then assured corps members that the FCT Administration will do all its can within the available resources to complement the efforts of the NYSC scheme, in the area of corps members welfare, while calling on them to be security conscious during the service year.
“Let me remind you of the need to be security conscious. Always remember that you are your own best security. Report any case of threat to life and property to NYSC management and security agents and do not go about looking for trouble by engaging in unwholesome practices,” she stated.
The release also indicated that earlier, the FCT Coordinator of NYSC, Walida Isa, assured the FCT Administration that the 2019 Batch B Stream 2 corps members have been rebranded within the context of national consciousness and to prepare them to be useful tools and forces for the socio economic development of Nigeria.
She then commended development partners and the six Area Councils in the FCT for their support, just as she pledged that the directorate will not abuse the trust.
The NYSC coordinator tasked corps members on the relevance of teamwork, diligence and commitment as key to success, noting that success is not a “tea party”, but about hard-work and discipline.
“I charge you therefore to accept your postings as a challenge for integrity and self-mastery, and be exemplary whenever you find yourself,” she added.
Newsdiaryonline recalls that the NYSC scheme is mandatory for Nigerian graduates of regular Degree and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes, both foreign and locally trained, who are 30 years old.
It was established in the year 1973, by Decree No. 24, later repealed by Decree and replaced by Decree No. 51 in 1993, which is now known as National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84, law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The scheme is aimed at fostering of national unity and integration through the policy of deploying corps members to states other than state of origin.
Corps members through the scheme in the West African nation of over 200 million people are posted to establishments both public and private for the one year national service.
