President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja granted automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service to 65 former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), highlighting numerous achievements of the scheme since its establishment 50 years ago.
Speaking at the NYSC 50th Anniversary Honours Awards held at the State House Conference Centre, the president said out of the 65 recipients, 52 individuals received the Presidential Honours Awards, while the remaining 13 were physically challenged ex-Corps Members recognised under the NYSC Hope Alive programme.
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In addition to the employment, President Buhari in a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina also disclosed that both groups would be awarded scholarships to pursue their education up to the Doctorate Degree level at any university of their choice within the country.
He announced a cash prize of N250,000 for each of the top award winners, and N200,000 for other award recipients, including the physically challenged ex-Corps members under the NYSC Hope Alive Programme.
Consequently, the president issued a directive to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the Minister of Education to ensure adherence to the employment offer and the granting of scholarships.
Buhari also used the occasion to pay tribute to corps members from the batches being honoured, who lost their lives under various circumstances while serving the nation.
‘‘But for their transitioning, some of them might have been here today as part of the honourees. May God grant their soul peaceful repose. They remain our heroes and heroines. The Nation shall continue to remember their sacrifices towards building a strong, indivisible and egalitarian entity,’’ he said.
The president also sympathised with the ex-corps members that sustained varying degrees of disability during the service year, acknowledging their significant sacrifices for the progress of the country and assured them that the nation stands in solidarity with them.
‘‘Your labour shall not be in vain,’’ he said.
The president also congratulated the founding fathers, past and present managers of the NYSC on the Scheme’s Golden Jubilee, commending their enduring faith, which has maintained NYSC as a vital platform for mobilising the youth towards national unity and development.
Buhari praised all Nigerians who have answered the call for National Service in the past fifty years for their patriotic zeal and commitment to the NYSC mandate.
He emphasised that it has justified its establishment as an interventionist agency, with a core mandate to foster national unity across the country, thereby breaking down ethnic suspicions and divisions.
Buhari also expressed his deep appreciation to General (Dr.) Yakubu Gowon, the founding father of the Scheme, who conceived the idea of the Corps and brought it to fruition on May 22, 1973.
The president specifically commended the corps members for their role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by producing and distributing essential items such as face masks, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, and providing food and other relief materials to the needy across the country.
He also applauded their discipline and neutrality when serving as ad hoc personnel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including during the 2023 general elections, which contributed to enhancing the credibility of the electoral system.
Regarding ongoing discussions on the need to reinvent the NYSC through the establishment of a Trust Fund, President Buhari said he has been ‘‘briefed adequately’’ on the matter and commended the management for the initiative.
He pledged his support for any genuine effort aimed at assisting the Scheme in achieving its time-tested objectives.
The minister of youth and sports development, Sunday Dare, while commending the former corps members chosen for the Presidential Honour, said their sacrifices and commendable contributions, reflect the positive values they embodied during their service year.