A promise to upgrade the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Permanent orientation camp in Ikare Akoko, in Akoko North East local government area of Ondo State has been made by the state’s Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, from 2,500 to 5,000.
The governor, who made this pledge during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2017 Batch B Stream 1 Corps members deployed to state, said the renovation became necessary in order to ensure some tolerable level of comfort for the Corps members.
Akeredolu who was represented by the state commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Saka Ogunleye, said apart from the on-going renovation of the camp, the facilities at the camp will be upgraded to accommodate at least five thousand Corps members.
He said the state government was aware of the challenges confronting the scheme, saying the present administration in the state decided to award the contract to upgrade the camp facilities.
He said “On our part as a government that is passionate about the youth, we have done our bit to ensure some tolerable level of comfort for you as this is evidenced in the ongoing renovation of the camp facilities.
“I have been reliably informed that the standard camp should have facilities for five thousand Corps members. It is my belief that my administration will build more hostel blocks on camp to meet this expectation.”
He, however, charged the Corps members to see their deployment to the state as an opportunity to make a positive impact on their host community and contributing to the national development.
The State coordinator of the corps, Mrs Grace Akpabio, commended the state government over the renovation of the NYSC village but solicited for more assistance from the government to make life more comfortable for the serving youth.
Akpabio explained that the ongoing renovation work at the NYSC camp was an indication that the current administration has not fallen short of its statutory obligations to the scheme.
She disclosed that about 2,127 Corps members, comprising of 1044 males and 1083 across the country will participate in the three-week-long orientation camp.
Akpabio advised the Corps members to actively participate in all the activities lined up to facilitate the attainment of the objective of the scheme.
She said, “this includes Para-military drills and physical trying, citizenship and leadership skills, motivational lectures as well as acquisition and entrepreneurship lectures aimed at wealth creation and self-reliance.”
Credit: tribuneonlineng.com
