Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo has promised to increase the monthly allowance of corps members serving in the southwest state from N5,000 to N15,000.
Makinde gave the assurance on Thursday when he visited the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp at Iseyin.
“We visited the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp at Iseyin this evening. I assured the youth corps members that we would address the issues raised by the Commandant about the state of the camp,” the governor tweeted on his official handle. “I also told them we would increase their allowance from N5,000 to N15,000.”
Calls for the scrapping of the NYSC scheme have recently made front pages following a move by a federal lawmaker, Awaji-Inombek Abiante to sponsor a bill to repeal the National Youth Service Corps Act.
“Due to insecurity across the country, the National Youth Service Corps Management now give considerations to posting corps members to their geo-political zone, thus defeating one of the objectives of setting up the service corps i.e. developing common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration,” the lawmaker argued.
But while recalling his experiences during the one-year mandatory programme, the Oyo leader lauded the NYSC for building bridges of unity in Nigeria.
“I also shared with them how it was during my national youth service in Port-Harcourt that I got a job and met and married my lovely wife, Ominini Makinde,” he explained. “So, I am an example of how the national youth service could foster national integration. I wished them the best for the future.”
