The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to always pursue issues that would contribute to the development of the nation.
Abubakar made the call on Tuesday at his Palace in Sokoto, during an interactive session with the 2019 NYSC Batch ‘A’ corps members posted to the state.
He also urged the corps members to interact freely with members of their host communities, understand their values and respect them.
The Sultan called on the NYSC authorities to continue with physical exercise for corps members in order to prepare them for greater tasks in life, NAN reports.
He challenged Nigerians to utilise the advantages of the NYSC scheme in promoting cultural and religious understanding, to ensure harmonious relationship in the country.
Abubakar described the scheme as a catalyst for promoting national unity, mutual respect, religious tolerance as well as bringing harmony for the advancement of Nigeria.
The Sultan said that if Nigerians should embrace one another and set aside all differences as practised by corps members during their national service, the country should be in a better position.
He advised people to emulate NYSC for its roles in promoting peace and unity leading to the stability of the nation.
The monarch explained that in spite of various crises bedeviling different parts of the nation, the NYSC scheme still remained a veritable tool for unifying Nigeria.
“If Nigerians should embrace the spirit of oneness and live with one another harmoniously like that of corps members, issues of diversity will not even arise.
“We should live as our brothers’ keepers and tolerate one another, irrespective of our background, so that our nation will move forward, as there will be no progress without unity,” the Sultan said.
The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr. Philip Enaberue, said 1,896 corps members were undergoing orientation at the camp in the state, and they came from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
Enaberue commended the Sultan for his support for the scheme in the state.
