The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Directorate Headquarters, Abuja, has slashed the number of prospective Corp members for the next phase of mobilization.
The disclosure was made in a leaked internal memo dated 4th October, 2016 and sent to all heads of departments of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
The memo signed by Mrs Ifeoma Egboka, office of the Dean of Students Affairs, said NYSC explained that the slash was as a result of “tight budgetary allocation of the Scheme”.
It therefore asked the HODs to “work out the percentage of the number 894 (total) for each department”, as against the initial 2,314.
The development may not be unconnected with the economic recession.
Last month, media and publicity director, NYSC, confirmed that the organisation was in need of funds.
Aderibigbe said that the N10, 500, as budgeted by the government for corp members’ kits, was no longer enough.
“This year for instance, since the Federal Government does not want a situation where youths who are done with tertiary education hang out longer than necessary before having their chance to serve, we were given 260, 000 corps members to mobilise,” she told The Guardian.
“So far, we are left with about 70, 000. Once the present set leaves in October or thereabouts, this outstanding will be taken care of for the year. This is not a hopeless situation as people are made to believe.
“It should be noted that once the federal government gives us the figure to mobilise for a particular year, they back it up with funds to take care of that number.
“We are in need of a lot of funds to ease our operations, but we will continue to cry to the government until the situation improves.”
Recall that in May, the 2016 Batch A Stream 2 was nearly stalled due to lack of funds.
Brig.-Gen. Sulyman Kazaure, NYSC Director-General, laid the complaint when he appeared at a Senate Committee hearing.
