MARGARET CHIDERA
The Civil Society Coalition for Transparency and Good Governance, has pledged to harness everything within its power to actualise the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund.
Executive Secretary of the group, Mr Victor Udoh, made the pledge when he led other members of the coalition on a courtesy call to the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Muhammad Fadah in his office in Abuja.
He described NYSC as the most formidable, organised and well composed youth organisation in the country.
According to him, over the years, NYSC has been integrating and unifying the country as one indivisible entity.
Udoh commended the management of the Scheme and previous Director-Generals for the various innovations the Scheme has recorded over the years.
He urged General Fadah not to lower the standard but improve on the achievements of his predecessors.
He said Civil Society Organisations are interested in NYSC activities and urged the Director-General to leave the scheme better than he met it.
“We are confident that the NYSC Trust Fund has enormous positive intent and they should not be overridden by shenanigans and that is why the CSOs are there to have accurate information and pass it on to the society.
“We are hopeful that under your watch the Trust Fund will come to life. We want to assure you that as informed members of the society, we will take this responsibility of expelling the erroneous conception and the few misguided expressions about the nobility of the intent of the NYSC Trust rust Fund.
“We will also take this opportunity to call on the National Assembly and the Presidency to see this as important as they see the electoral act and to work round the clock to make sure that it is signed on time”, he said.
Udoh commended the successive batches of Corps Members for their high level of patriotism, especially while participating in the electoral process of the country.
The NYSC Trust Fund bill, which has been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly will mandate businesses operating in Nigeria to remit one per cent of their net profit to fund the trust fund.
In his remarks, the Director-General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Muhammad Kaku Fadah said the Scheme would not be deterred by detractors as the purpose for establishing the fund is for the advancement of Corps Members and the society at large.
“During their service year, the Corps Members are trained in vocation and skills acquisition, it is intended that as they finish their service year, the trust fund will enable them have a take-off grant to start with.
“We remain focused and will continue in that direction and with your kind support I know that it is achievable”, he said.
Fadah appreciated the CSO for also pursuing the signing into law of the Trust Fund Bill and assured that both organisations would work together for the good of the NYSC.
“I am pledging in very strong terms that we will partner with you. NYSC is celebrating 50 years next year and a committee has been set up to ensure that we consolidate on the gains that we have achieved so far.
“As stakeholders, let us engage ourselves in discussions that will help us and I am confident that what you want is to better the scheme for the society. I am resolute and confident that my leadership will achieve that”, Fadah said.
The Director, Ventures Management Department, Prince Momoh Mohammed said if the Trust Fund Bill is eventually assented to, by President Muhammadu Buhari, it would re-invent the NYSC and strengthen its operations with utmost benefit to the Corps Members.
Momoh said when the Corps Members establish their jobs, there would be a trickle-down effect of job creation, and they would also be in a position to employ other Nigerians.
“There will be massive improvement in our orientation camp facilities. We all know what our elections were before the advent of Corps Members’ participation in the election.
“The massive improvement that we have seen is as a result of the involvement of these young Nigerians, we have done it before, we are still doing it. I will want to assure you that we will do more in the stride towards nation building,” he added.
