By Evelyn Terseer, Abuja

As the public hearing on the bill for the establishment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Trust Fund slated for February 24, 2022 approaches, the corps has appealed to members of the public to send memoranda in support of the bill to the House Committee on Youth and Sports, and also make themselves available on the day of the public hearing to lend support to the institution of the Trust Fund.

The Director-General, NYSC, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim made the appeal yesterday in Abuja, during a training programme organised for Desk Officers on the documentation of NYSC activities.

In the Statement by the Deputy Director Press and Public relations, Emeka Mgbemena, he asked that all hands be on deck for the actualisation of the Trust Fund, which would address the challenges of inadequate funding, infrastructural deficits in the scheme, expansion of Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme (SAED ), provision of start-up capitals for corps members to drive their business initiatives under the SAED programme, among others. “As you may be aware, public hearing on the bill for the estaishment of the NYSC Trust Fund has been fixed for Thursday, February 24, 2022.”Accordingly, l enjoin you all to complement our advocacy efforts towards the actualization of the Trust Fund. All of us should endeavour to explore our network of friends, including influencial persons, Corps employers, members of the academia, civil society organizations, students bodies, media practitioners and other groups for this purpose.”We should encourage them to send memoranda in support of the bill to the House Committee on Youth and Sports, as well as make physical appearance on the day of the public hearing to lend their support”, the DG said.Speaking through the Director, Internal Audit, Mr Leke Abiodun, the General Ibrahim said there was the need to adequately document the corps’ activities for posterity, adding that NYSC “is one of the enduring national institutions that have positively impacted the lives of Nigerians and shaped the socio-economic and political development of the nation.”He urged the Desk Officers to be committed to the goal of the training by paying adequate attention and take to heart the knowledge that would be imparted into them, as he promised management’s support for the effective discharge of their duties.

The General Ibrahim stated further that the corps was not resting on its oars as the need to sustain documentation of its activities formed the basis for the training, which would equip the Desk Officers for effective and efficient conduct of their assignments. “As you return to your various formations after the training, you are to remain committed to this special assignment to enable us achieve the goal of your appointment as members of the standing committee and Desk Officers on the documentation of NYSC activities”, lbrahim said.

The Chairman, Standing Committee on the documentation of NYSC activities, Mr Hilary Nasamu, whose address was read by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Alhaji Ahmed Wada Ikaka said the committee has made frantic efforts for data collation, having collated more than 2,000 online pages that are ready for both print and online publications.