The Federal Government has called on the Organized Private Sector (OPS) in Nigeria to accept Corps members posted to their establishments for the mandatory one-year service.
The appeal was made on Tuesday by Mr. Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, during the closing ceremony of the 2023 Batch ‘B’ Stream One Orientation Course at the NYSC FCT Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja.
Adesola implored the private sector to consider the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a platform to exhibit their Corporate Social Responsibility.
“I urge the Organized Private Sector to open up their doors to accept Corps Members that will be posted to them.
“It is expected that no Company and Organization operating within the shores of Nigeria should flagrantly reject any Corps Member that is officially posted to them,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary further emphasized the importance of creating an enabling environment for Corps members to fulfill their statutory responsibilities to the fatherland.
He expressed the government’s commitment towards prioritizing the welfare of Corps members and creating a befitting environment for their operations.
Moreover, he cautioned against criminal activities such as drug abuse, stating that the FCT administration would not tolerate any actions that could put the lives of residents and their properties in danger.
In her address, the NYSC FCT Coordinator, Mrs. Winifred Shopeka, urged the 3,291 Corps Members to accept their postings in good faith and desist from acts of inducing rejections.
She also advised them to engage in post-camp training of Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme and perfect the vocational skills they had started in camp.
Shopeka further warned against night travels, stating that the NYSC has zero tolerance for such as they increase the risk of accidents and make rescue operations difficult.
The ceremony was witnessed by the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed, the Director of Special Duties, Alhaji Musa Abubakar, and Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Eddy Megwa, among other dignitaries.