Port Harcourt, Nov. 28, 2023 (NAN) Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers on Tuesday pledged that his administration would provide adequate security and welfare for corps members deployed to the state.
He made the pledge at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2023 Batch ‘C’ Stream II Corps members deployed to the state.
Fubara, represented by Mr Hamilton Amadi, the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, said that his administration would leave no stone unturned toward ensuring the security and welfare of corps members serving in the state.
He commended the NYSC management for training corps members to be self employed at the end of the service year through the Skill Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development Programme (SAED).
He also commended the partnership between the NYSC and various governmental and non-governmental funding institutions and partners, “who are playing vital roles in building the capacity of the corps members to become business owners and entrepreneurs through the SAED programmes”.
The governor said that with sustained efforts in improving the knowledge of corps members through SAED programme, the country would soon witness a positive resurgence in its economic fortunes due to the innovative ideas gained from the programme.
He said that the administration’s social contract with the people and pledge to be steadfast and resolute in giving them the best of democracy dividend remains sacrosanct.
“I am confident that with God on our side, we will deliver, we will never lose focus in fulfilling our promises to uplift the quality of life for the youths as the bedrock of our society and by doing so make Rivers the envy of other states,” he said.
He charged the corps members to be exemplary, dedicated in all they do both in the camp and throughout their service year to repay Nigerians for the faith and trust placed on them.
Fubara urged them to make discipline their watchword in camp and to shun social vices, cultism, religious intolerance, violence and indiscipline.
He encouraged them to imbibe more values and acceptable social behaviour as captured in the motto of NYSC scheme, which is service and humility.
He advised the camp officials to uphold the camp rules and regulations in order to turnout disciplined and well-behaved youths from the camp.
In a speech, the NYSC State Coordinate, Mr Hamilton Amadi, thanked the governor for his support and fatherly disposition to meeting the needs of the scheme.
Mfongang appealed to him for urgent intervention in tackling the problem of inadequate mattresses in the camp, flooding of the camp market due to improper drains.
He said that there was a need to equip the dinning hall with seats, tables and industrial fans, payment of monthly allowance to corps members and urgent renovation of the hostels in the camp and other facilities.
He urged the corps members to use the opportunity of their service year to uplift themselves, their families, institutions of graduation, the NYSC scheme, Rivers and the nation at large.
Mfongang said that the unity of the country rests on the shoulders of the corps members because Nigerians see them as the country’s beacon of hope.
“Similarly, the nation cannot deepen the foundation of our fledgling democracy without the contribution of vibrant youths, who are full of ideas and innovation,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 2,632 corps members, comprising 1,246 male and 1,386 females took the oath of allegiance.
The oath was administered by the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, represented by Justice Chidubem Odili.
