NYSC At 50: Sultan Says The Scheme Has Fulfilled Its Objective Of Uniting The Nation
By Onuminya Ochowechi In Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, says the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC ) has Fulfilled its objective of establishment through nation building and uniting the nation and urged the stakeholders of the scheme to sustain it.
Sultan Abubakar stated this on Monday during an interactive session with the 2023 Batch A stream 2 corps members posted to Sokoto state and urged stakeholders to uphold the scheme because of it’s immense contributions to national integration.
He enjoined the corps members to continue to engage on nation building initiatives and to always promote cultural and religious harmony among Nigerians.
The monarch also urged government and wealthy individuals to assist graduates with capital to set up businesses after the service year hence white collar jobs is not easy to go by these days.
According to him, such assistance will reduce poverty by providing employment opportunities as well as discourage youths from getting involved in criminal activities.
Abubakar emphasised the need for Nigerians to utilise the advantages of the NYSC scheme to promote cultural and religious understanding, as well as harmonious relationship at all levels.
“ The scheme is a catalyst for promoting national unity, mutual respect, religious tolerance as well as harmonious co-existence among Nigerians,” he stated.
He implored corps members to interact with their host communities freely and work towards activities that would be meaningful to national development.
He said the palace was pleased to welcome every corps member deployed to the state and offer them words of advice for better service delivery.
” I am assuring you that your safety will be guaranteed throughout your service period; we have already implored district heads to take care of you, ” Abubakar said.
He also urged the corps members to perform their duties with diligence and be guided by the provisions of the NYSC law as well as the laws of the areas they are posted to serve .
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He noted that there is no discrimination between indigenes and non indigenes in Sokoto state, all residents are indigenes as government pays school fees to every child irrespective of settler or indigene.
” We refer those that reside in the as residents communities,” Sultan added.
He urged corps members to always pray for nation peace and stability at all times and shun every activities that is inimical to peaceful coexistence saying they should also engaged on viable activities that promotes understanding, mutual coexistence and unity of the nation.
Earlier, the NYSC Coordinator in the state, Alhaji Usman Yakubu-Yaro, said corps members comprising male and female, were posted to Sokoto state from 36 states of the federation and FCT.
Yakubu commended the Sultan for his support to corps members, ensuring routine recognition of distinguished ones, and presentation of awards to deserving personalities in each service period.
He explained that NYSC is celebrating 50 years of existence and line up activities to showcase the achivements by the scheme and forward invitation to Sultan to grace some of the activities.
Earlier the NYSC organised five kilometers road walk on Kalambaina road as part of NYSC @50 celebrations where state Coordinator led dozens of corps members and staff.
Addressing the crowd, Yakubu-Yaro said NYSC remain a catalyst of the nation’s unification irrespective of ethnic backgrounds and serve as character moulding grounds of youths to become productive individuals and leaders in the country.
He said series of activities were planned to inform Nigerians on the scheme’s contribution to the nation building and offer solutions to some challenges bedeviling the nation.
