Ufuoma Dick-Iruenabere, the Abia Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has appealed to the State Government and other employers of corps members to consider raising the minimum local allowances for corps members from ₦20,000.
She made this appeal on Tuesday during the official opening ceremony for the 2024 Batch ‘A’ Stream 1 corps members deployed to Abia State, held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Umunna, Bende Local Government Area.
Expressing concern over the economic realities facing the nation, Dick-Iruenabere emphasised the need for an improvement in the welfare packages provided to corps members posted to the state.
She particularly highlighted the importance of decent accommodation and increased local allowances as motivating factors for corps members to contribute more effectively to their host communities.
During the orientation exercise, a total of 1,293 corps members, comprising 642 males and 651 females, were registered. Dick-Iruenabere congratulated the newly inducted corps members and encouraged them to actively participate in all camp activities.
In his address, Governor Alex Otti affirmed his administration’s commitment to recognising and rewarding acts of selflessness and service. Represented by Chief Cyril Nwigwe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Otti assured the corps members of significant rewards for their efforts to uplift their host communities and improve the lives of the less privileged.
Otti encouraged the corps members to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the NYSC scheme, particularly through its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training program.
He expressed confidence that the program would equip them for self-employment opportunities post-service, empowering them to become employers of labor.
The ceremony also witnessed the administration of the oath of allegiance on the corps members by the state’s Chief Judge, Lilian Abai, represented by Justice CC Nwakama. This underscores the formal induction of the corps members into the NYSC program, marking the beginning of their service year.