The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), in Oyo State on Thursday, declared that it has registered no fewer than two thousand, one hundred and seventy one (2,171), corps members for the 2019 BATCH ‘C’ (STREAM 1) orientation course.
State Coordinator of NYSC, Eniola Ambekemo, made this declaration while speaking during the Official Opening/Swearing in ceremony for the 2019 BATCH ‘C’ (STREAM 1) corps members deployed to the state.
At the swearing-in ceremony held at the NYSC Permanent Secretariat in Iseyin were the State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan, Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Seun Fakorede and representatives of service chiefs in the state.
Ambekemo, in her address, noted that Oyo NYSC has registered 2,171 prospective Corps Members comprising 874 males, and 1,297 females representing all the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory.
According to her, the orientation course timetable is loaded with programmes and activities together with Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programmes which is aimed at empowering the Corps Members.
“The orientation course is the first phase and entry point into the service year primarily aimed at inculcating discipline, hard work, and integrity in the Nigerian graduate youth, it is a programme designed to equipped the vibrant and active youth morally, physically, socially and psychologically to prepare the service vanguards to overcome your daunting challenges you might face in the course of your service year”.
She, however, urged the corps members to make good use of the facilities that have been put in place by the authority, adding that they should comport themselves in a disciplined manner and abide by camp rules and regulations.
“I want to believe that their acceptance of this clarion call no doubt attests to their patriotism and persuasion about service to one’s fatherland. I therefore pray that the grace of God which saw them through the rigours of school will equally be sufficient to see them through the national assignment.
“Mr. Governor, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, permit me to put on record that we have registered as at 12 midnight of Wednesday, 6th November, 2019 cut off time, a total of 2,171 prospective corps members comprising 874 males and 1,297 females. In this figure, we have the thirty six states of the federation and FCT Abuja being represented”.
Olaniyan, who spoke on behalf of his boss, called on the corps members to embrace entrepreneurship skills acquisition in order to make them self reliance during and after their service year.
He noted that the National Youth Service Corps is a beacon of hope and reference point when it comes to productive channeling of youthful intelligence, energy and skulls for national development
“Avail yourselves of the opportunities provided by the contents of the orientation course and have positive and right attitude that will help you surpass your predecessor achievements, and to do this, you need to establish a healthy relationship among yourselves and live amicably with others under any given circumstances because the core value of the scheme which is unity in river so should be maintained while discipline should be your watch word all times.”
“This will enable you to acquire and nurture skills they will turn you into budding entrepreneurs and wealth creators during and after the service year. Oyo State is the central place for the highly vibrant and enterprising Yoruba race, this is a clarion call for you to contribute your own quota to the overall growth and development of your father land with consistent display of resilience and hard working.”
Fakorede, in his remark, said that the program is the launching pad for the one year mandatory service for the corps members and it is expected to prepare them for the specific roles they will play in the scheme and it is equally designed to inculcate the ideal of patriotism, service and humility in to Nigerian vibrant youth.
“The course content embraces paramilitary drills, physical training, Man ‘O’ War training, lectures, sports and social activities which are meant to prepare you mentally and physically for the arduous task of the nation building.”
