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THE NATION FRIDAY OCTOBER 11, 2013
NEWS
NYSC BATCH ‘C’ 2012 PASSING-OUT PARADE
Oyo State corps members in a march past at the Lekan Salami Sport Stadium, Adamansigba, Ibadan...yesterday
PHOTO:FEMI ILESANMI
Five receive Imo State Awards
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From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri
IVE corps members in Imo State have received Honours Awards from the government for their performances. Governor Rochas Okorocha, announcing the awards at the passing-out ceremony of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) 2012 Batch C at the Dam Anyiam Stadium Owerri, said his administration would continue to encourage, motivate and reward corps members, who distinguished themselves during their service year. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, praised the corps members for overcoming the challenges that confronted them. He appreciated them for impacting positively on members of their host communities in their primary assignments and community development projects. “This is the very essence of the NYSC scheme and I am certain that the people are grateful.” He paid tributes to them for their zeal, dedication, confidence, resilience, tenacity of purpose and resourcefulness, which they exhibited during their stay in the state.
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Ekiti honours 17, penalises 12
KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi has urged the youth to redouble efforts to build “the Nigeria of dreams.” Fayemi urged the youth to be focused, patriotic and determined, saying “the task of building a united, peaceful and virile nation rest on them as the future leaders.” He spoke at the passing-out ceremony of the 2012 Batch ‘C’ Corps members at the Oluyemi Kayode Statdium in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday. Represented by his deputy, Prof Modupe Adelabu, the governor conferred state Honours Awards on 17 members, who distinguished themselves in Community Development Service. The governor urged the youths to show love to their fellow countrymen, irrespec-
From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti
tive of ethnic and religious differences, and advised them to shun crimes. Six corps members had their service extended for various offences. Fayemi praised the NYSC management for integrating the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurial Development (SAED) into the scheme, noting that the corps members have acquired skills to make them “job creators and labour employers, rather than job seekers” after their service. He urged the corps members to put into practise the entrepreneurial skills they acquired. “Nigeria is in dire need of productive skilled manpower for it to join the league of developed nations.”
89 sanctioned in Ondo From Leke Akeredolu, Akure
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IXTY-FOUR National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members in Ondo State have their service year extended for absenteeism. Twenty-five others will repeat the service for absconding from duty. This was announced yesterday by the NYSC Secretariat at the passing-out ceremony of the 2012 Batch ‘C’ corps members in Akure, the Ondo State capital. Of the 2,770, five received State Honours Award. Five others got Chairman’s Honours Award. Governor Olusegun Mimiko urged them to imbibe the culture of dignity of labour, self-reliance, selfless service and peaceful co-existence imbibed from the programme in the last one year. Mimiko, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Mr Bekekhimi Idhiarhi, Mimiko spoke on the need for them to prepare for postservice employment.
’Corps members can’t write application’
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HE Kano State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr Sanusi Abdulrasheed, yesterday said over 89 per cent of corps members can’t write or speak good English. Abdulrasheed, who regretted that the corps members preferred communicating in Pidgin English, reminded graduates that the era of white collar jobs was over in Nigeria. The state coordinator spoke yesterday in Kano at the passing-out parade of corps members. He said the NYSC discovered this after a nationwide research. “I have been asked to re-
From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano
mind you, and I don’t want you to feel insulted, but it is a statement of fact that the management throughout the federation made an observation that the bulk of corps members were not communicating effectively in English language. “Following the nationwide research by NYSC’s management, it was established that 89 per cent of them cannot write good application.” According to him, the research indicated that “majority of you start writing application with their name, for example, ‘I, Sanusi Abdulrasheed,
hereby...’” He added: “You should know that the point of communicating to the world is through an application. And when you start on a bad note, those who appreciate the use of language would discover that such a person lacks communication skill and such an application would end up in the dustbin.” The NYSC coordinator urged the corps members to buy primary and secondary textbooks, if necessary, to learn how to communicate in English. You will learn and study numerous ways of writing a good application.” However, the coordina-
tor advised them not to waste time searching for white collar jobs. He said insecurity had reduced in the state. ‘’Let us thank Allah for the way He has been using our government, both the state and the Federal Government in confronting security challenges in Kano. I assure any new corps members not to be afraid in serving in the state. Though only God can guarantee adequate protection of life and property, we have done the little we can. Abdulrasheed said some corps members would repeat their service year for one offence or the other.
Four to repeat service in Ebonyi
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HE National Youth Service Corps in Ebonyi State has said four 2012 Batch ‘C’ will repeat the service year. Nineteen others will have their service extended by one to four months. State NYSC Director Mr Otaru Eshimake spoke in Abakaliki at the passingout ceremony of 2,020 corps members. He listed their crimes as absence from service, unauthorised journeys, fraud, theft and other miscellane-
From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki
ous offences. “The NYSC By-laws stipulate this punishment to serve as a lesson to serving corps members.” He noted that 10 corps members would receive State Honours for their contributions to the society. “Two corps members will receive Certificates of Merit while eight will receive Commendation Letters. The director commended those who served meritori-
‘The NYSC Bylaws stipulate this punishment to serve as a lesson to serving corps members.’ ously and urged them to continue to be good citizens. “We want to thank the governor for his financial and moral support to the scheme over the years,” he
said. Governor Martin Elechi, represented by Chief Sam Mgbada, the commissioner for Youths and Sports, congratulated the corps members for a successful service year. “I urge you to remain steadfast in your commitment to the nation’s cause by remaining loyal and resolute in promoting ideals that bind us as a nation. The Best Overall Corps Member award went to Jacinta Obayi from Enugu State.
Gombe corps members get N15m, employment
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EMBERS of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) “Batch C” in Gombe State yesterday were given N15 million by Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo at the end of their service year. The money, announced by the governor at the passing-out parade, represents a gift of N20,000 to assist each of the 720 corps members as fare back home. The remaining N500,000,
By Vincent Ohonbamu, Gombe
he said, was a cash award for the Best Corps Member, Miss Olubukun Olufemi, in recognition of her outstanding commitment and community development services. Dankwambo also offered employment to 15 members, 13 of which were Merit Awardees as well as the Parade Commander and the Band Leader.
He said the selfless service rendered by the youth had impacted positively on the socio-economic development of the people. “You have indeed endeared yourselves to the entire people of Gombe State by uplifting their living standards through the primary assignments and the community development service you rendered at individual and group levels.” The governor urged the corps members not to wait
for white collar jobs but to take advantage of the federal and state government policies aimed at assisting them to be self-reliant. State NYSC Coordinator Teryma Manasseh Igyuse congratulated the corps members for the successful completion of their service year. He hailed the government and people for their contribution towards the peaceful stay of corps members.