The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has expressed concern over the welfare of corps members.
Ahmed spoke on Tuesday while delivering a keynote address during the 2023 Corps Employer’s Workshop held at the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Ede, Osun State.
The NYSC Director General, who was resented by the Deputy Director, Corps Development, South West, Ella Williams, said, “Majority of those who made requests for corps members to be posted to their establishment did not provide accommodation for them and where such was provided, it was always in deplorable conditions unfit for human habitation.
“Some employers of corpers connive with them to commit truancy which often put their lives at risk.
“Many employers connive with those posted to them, allowing them to travel at will. Infact we have evidence that some of the employers shared part of the allowance the Federal Government pays these children to permit them to leave their place of primary assignment.
“Unfortunately we have lost some of them to this truancy. Last week one had accident in Kogi State while traveling without authorization, while two others died in an accident during illegal journey.”
In his welcome address, the state coordinator of the NYSC, Ndoma Agbor Obim, said the workshop with the theme ‘Optimizing the productivity of corp members through enhanced welfare and security during the service year’ was organised in line with the plan to connect talented corp members with employers who share the NYSC vision of fostering personal and professional growth.
Earlier, the Osun state Commissioner for Youth, Moshood Olagunju, urged participants to take advantage of the workshop to understand their obligations in the welfare of the corp members.