BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, has urged corps members to dedicate themselves to the service of fatherland.
Ibrahim stated this in his address at the Swearing-in ceremony of the 2021 Batch ‘C’ (Stream 1) corps members undergoing orientation exercise at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Iseyin, Oyo State.
He urged corps members to always ponder on the significance of the oath taken and be guided by its spirit and letters.
The NYSC chief, represented on the occasion by the Oyo State NYSC Coordinator, Grace Ogbuogebe, said the corps members were deliberately posted away from their states of origin to broaden their understanding of the country and position them in good stead for effective contribution to the promotion of national unity and integration.
He further encouraged the corps members to initiate healthy interactions, exchange ideas, and build lasting friendships to advance the progress of a united Nigeria.
According to him, the orientation course would prepare the corps members for their contributions to the progress and development of the country.
“The orientation course will equip you for the realization of your potentials and attainment of individual feats both within the period of service and beyond,” he said.
Ibrahim cautioned corps members against indulgence in cultism, drug abuse and other social vices. He also encouraged them to shun the use of social media for promotion of hatred and rumour peddling.
The NYSC Director-General advised the corps members to avail themselves of the opportunities provided by the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme to combat the dearth of employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
While stressing the need for continuous compliance with the COVID-19 prevention protocols, Ibrahim encouraged the corps members to present themselves to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that the management of the scheme was in touch with relevant authorities to make the vaccine available for interested corps members in the course of the service year.
A total of 1,647 corps members, comprising of 797 males and 850 females, were sworn in on oath by the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Muktar Abimbola, represented by Justice Iyabode Yerima.
