The Director General (DG), of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Suleiman Kazaure, has assured corps members serving in Yobe state of maximum security.
The DG stated this at the Potiskum, Orientation Camp in Yobe as part of his visit to the camp which is holding an orientation course for the first time in the state.
He visited the orientation camp to encourage the corps members to perform their one-year national service in the troubled state.
While addressing them, the DG however tasked them to be security conscious and to respect the customs and traditions of their host community.
He also encouraged them to contribute to the development of any society they find themselves.
“You should be careful with moving about and I caution you to always walk in twos or threes because of kidnappers and terrorists, among others with questionable characters.
“You should also be mindful of where you go and avoid unnecessary movement because after the capture of the camp zero, the Boko Haram militants are looking for targets, so, being careful is key as you serve your Fatherland in this area.
“I also want you to respect the customs and traditions of your host communities as that is the only way you can acclimatize” the DG said.
He further stated that the scheme is working in collaboration with some financial institutions towards providing skills acquisition programmes to corps members to pave way for self-employment rather than waiting for white color jobs that are not easy to come by.
“Similarly, we are entering into partnership with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industries with a view to making our skill acquisition scheme functional across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
“I urge you to take this scheme very seriously as it will help you establish meaningful business instead of wasting time looking for white color jobs which are not easy to come by now”
However, the State Coordinator Mr Jauro Daniel Umaru, appreciated the visit of the DG saying: “It will boost the morale of the corps members.
He thanked security operatives in the fight against insurgency, saying Yobe state is generally safe.
Also according to him, corps members in the state are already into several community development programmes geared towards developing their host communities.
“We want to thank the DG for his efforts as his coming will go a long way in stimulating the morale of our corps members.
“Let me assure you that we will do well to ensure these corps members contribute immensely in the development of their host communities and Nigeria as a whole,” the coordinator assured.
On the other hand, some of the corps members who spoke to Channels Television expressed optimism about giving their all in the service to their Fatherland.
The corps members said, they were initially scared of being deployed to Yobe State but their eventual coming has attested to the fact that peace has actually returned to the northeast.
The commencement of the orientation camp at the College of Administrative and Business Studies (CABS) Potiskum, has opened up businesses prospects for the people of Potiskum who are already well known for commercial activities.