NEWS
NYSC DG Tasks Corps Members on Patriotism, Diligence, Selfless Service
By Evelyn Terseer, Abuja
Corps members have been advised to be patriotic, diligent and imbibe the spirit of selfless service as they contribute their quota to national development.
NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim gave the charge on Monday in his address to the corps members deployed to Kaduna State for the 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream One Service year.
He advised them to utilise the opportunities of the Orientation Course to create good friendship and teamwork that would add value to their service year.
The DG lectured them on the four cardinal programmes of the Scheme namely; Orientation Course, Primary Assignment, Community Development Service and Winding-Up/Passing-Out, adding that they must excel in them before they can be adjudged to have successfully completed the service year.
Speaking further, Ibrahim cautioned them against indulging in anti-social vices, as he warned that anyone caught would be sanctioned in line with NYSC Bye-Laws.
“You must avoid cutting corners, avoid cybercrimes, avoid drugs and other social vices. Be diligent, be patriotic and cherish your integrity. You must strive to add value to the Scheme and leave lasting legacies,” he said.
In a statement by the Director, press and public relations, Adenike Adeyemi, he also advised the Corps Members to be security conscious and avoid actions that can endanger their safety.
The DG warned against embarking on unauthorized journeys, late-night movements and boarding vehicles by the roadside.
He advised them to obtain approval from the NYSC if it becomes mandatory for them to travel and ensure they board vehicles from authorized motor parks only.
The Director-General reiterated the need for them to be conscious of COVID-19 safety protocols which involves washing of hands for at least twenty seconds, appropriate use of facemasks, use of hand sanitizer and maintaining social distancing.
“There is no COVID-19 in any of our Orientation Camps nationwide. Don’t go to town and don’t mix-up with outsiders so that your COVID-19 status wouldn’t be compromised. Delta variant is rampaging and l urge you not to let down your guards,” Ibrahim added.
He advised the Corps Members on the positive use of the Social Media saying; “Use the Social Media to promote National unity. Don’t spread fake news, spread good news that will unite us as Nigerians because there is unity in diversity. NYSC was established to promote National Unity and integration”.
“Also don’t use the Social Media to smear the NYSC Scheme, your employer and the country’s image,” the DG said.
General Ibrahim implored the corps members to execute individual and group projects that would improve the living standards of their host communities but added that they must not execute any project with their personal money, but rather source for funds from members of their host communities.
He however advised that approval must be obtained from NYSC before embarking on such project.
The Director-General also enjoined the Corps Members to key into the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme of the Scheme and participate in both the in-camp and post-camp trainings which was introduced into the Orientation Course Content to empower them with skills that would make them self-employed.
He said many ex-Corps Members are today employers of labour through their involvement in NYSC SAED programme.
Ibrahim also reiterated his call for the establishment of National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund that would make funds available for Corps Members to start their business as they exit service.
“We have partnered many financial institutions like the Central Bank of Nigeria, Access Bank, Unity Bank, Heritage Bank, Bank of Industry among others and they have been giving soft loans to Corps Members to finance their businesses,” he said.
The Director-General had earlier witnessed the swearing-in ceremony of the Prospective Corps Members where the Deputy Registrar, High Court of Justice Kaduna State, Mr Pius Iliya administered the Oath of Allegiance on the Prospective Corps Members deployed to the State.
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).
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