By Folasade Akpan
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has urged Corps Producing Institutions (CPIs) to appoint credible
Student Affairs Officers (SAOs) and Data Entry Officers (DEOs) to enhance mobilisation of NYSC members.
The NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the second
meeting of NYSC management with registrars of CPIs in Nigeria.
This, he said, is because of the crucial roles of SAOs and DEOs in the mobilisation process.
Ahmed also said that “during the preceding pre-mobilisation meeting held for 2022 Batch C, many SAOs and DEOs complained
about unfavourable working environment.
“Let me therefore put it this way, that to whom much is expected, much should be given.
“I, therefore, call on registrars of CPIs to explore ways of improving the welfare and other essential logistic needs of SAOs and
DEOs. This will in turn elicit greater commitment for optimal performance.”
He also said that the continuous decline of quality of graduates was largely
attributed to factors such as harvest of graduates from unaccredited institutions and manipulation of data to allow part-time graduates to enroll for service.
The NYSC boss added that those and other unwholesome practices leave much to be desired from the citadels of learning.
He explained that the management of NYSC is determined not to take it lightly with institutions or individuals perpetrating such acts.
The Director, Corps Mobilisation, Hajia Isa Siddique, said that the use of
credible SAOs and DEOs was essential in achieving desired outcomes in the mobilisation of qualified NYSC members.
According to her, appointment of key officers should be based on merit.
“Also very important is the need to discourage frequent change of SAOs and DEOs because continuity helps to build perfection and excellence on the job.
“Of equal importance is the fact that a lot of resources is usually committed into their training by both CPIs and the NYSC management.
“Except where an officer is found wanting, frequent changes should be discouraged as it does not allow proper understanding of the schedule, and could also cause distortion in the mobilisation value chain.”
While declaring the meeting open, Mr Olusola Adesola, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), assured that the administration would continue to deepen partnership with the NYSC to ensure successful implementation of its lofty objectives.
He said “let me acknowledge with gratitude that the giant strides in our achievements as an administration in the FCT is attributable to the selfless services of youth corps members deployed to serve in the territory.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, which had its maiden edition in 2022, hopes to review the resolutions and address emerging challenges in NYSC mobilisation process. (NAN)
