No fewer than 4, 000 persons in Nasarawa State have benefitted from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) in the last one year.
The NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Abdullahi Jikamshi, disclosed this on Thursday in Lafia at the passing of 2021 Batch A Stream 1 corps members.
He listed the services to include the provision of free medical services, de-worming of children and youth in various communities in the 13 local government areas of the state.
“The favourite of our rural folk is the NYSC Health for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) in which over 4,000 people benefitted from the programme last year.
“It is in view of this that our visionary Director-General, Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, thought it wise to introduce the NYSC Trust Fund Bill.
“If passed into law, the Trust Fund will reduce the burden of funding by the various tiers of government, upgrade the operations of NYSC, increase the depth and scope of skill acquisition among corps members as well as create jobs,” he said.
According to him, the multiplier effect will be less dependence on white-collar jobs as well as increased job creation and employment opportunities for Nigerian youth.
Jikamshi also disclosed that 33 corps members would have their service year extended for various offences including abscondment, in accordance with the provisions of the NYSC bye-laws.
The state coordinator, while congratulating 1,142 corps members for successfully completing their one-year mandatory service, however urged them to be good ambassadors of the scheme wherever they found themselves.
He said the scheme remained the most effective instrument of national unity and integration, calling on all and sundry to support the corps to succeed.
Gov. Abdullahi Sule also enjoined the corps members to take advantage of the various skills acquisition acquired during their service to be self-reliant and contribute their quota positively to the development of the country.
Sule was represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Lucky Isaac.
He thanked the outgoing corps members for their useful contributions to the communities of their primary assignment.
The governor also reiterated his administration’s continued partnership with the NYSC in the area of agriculture and others for the speedy development of the state. (NAN)
