President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme would be used to drive his administration’s change mantra.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the president stated this at the swearing-in of 2016 Batch `A’ of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Keffi, Nasarawa state, Ise-Ekiti, Ekiti and Gusau in Zamfara.
NAN reports that in Keffi (Nasarawa State), Buhari, represented by Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa state, said the Federal Government (FG) placed a high premium on the NYSC scheme.
The President’s address was read in Ekiti by Mr Odunayo Adesoye, the Director of Youths, Ministry of Information, Youths and Sports Development, who represented Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti.
Also in Keffi, the president’s speech was read by Alhaji Ishaq Galadima, Nasarawa state Commissioner for Youths and Sports on behalf of Gov. Tanko Al-Makura,
The president said the scheme is useful because it had proved itself over the years to be a reliable vehicle in inculcating sacrifice and patriotism in Nigerian youths.
“My dear corps members, the National Youth Service Corps which was established four decades ago has demonstrated its ability to remain relevant in the life cycle of the nation,” he said.
The president said the Federal Government would continue to invest hugely in the youth.
While the president decried the dwindling economy of the country, he assured that his administration would strive hard to ensure that challenges facing the nation’s economy would be a thing of the past.
He, however, warned the new youth corps members to shun social vices such as cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug peddling thuggery, prostitution, terrorism, militancy, cybercrimes, bunkering and the get-rich quick syndrome.
“I charge you to use the various NYSC Community Development Services platforms at the grassroots to carry out public enlightenment and mobilisation for change in behaviour, thinking, cultural orientation and outlook,” he said.
According to the president, one of the disturbing problems inherited by this administration is increasing unemployment among the young people, and that will soon be a thing of the past.
“Thousands of graduates from the higher institutions of learning get frustrated daily as they search for non-existing jobs.
“This is why this administration is anxious to recover illicit wealth to channel them to productive economic venture to absorb thousands into employment,” Buhari said.
The President also charged corps members to work with enthusiasm to better the lives of their host communities.
