Lagos begs employers to accept corps members

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, on Monday, appealed to employers of labour in the state to accept members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted to their organisations for the one-year mandatory national assignment to enable them contribute their quota to the development of the country.
The governor’s appeal comes as Mohamed Momoh, Lagos State coordinator of the NYSC, says the corps members are now being trained to create jobs and not as job seekers, upon the conclusion of their national assignment.
Ambode, speaking at the end of the orientation course for 2,577 Batch A/Stream 1 NYSC members who are to serve in Lagos, said the young graduates needed to be given the opportunity to begin to express their talents as the future leaders of the country.
And to the NYSC members, Ambode, who was represented by Oluseye Oladejo, the commissioner for special duties and inter-governmental relations, said “Nigeria as a nation can only be transformed when you channel your energies towards activities that will enhance economic growth and national development. You are therefore expected to use your training to impact on the community and develop your individual potentials.”
The governor, who congratulated the corps members on the successful completion of the orientation course, also enjoined them to apply the virtues of diligence, tolerance, perseverance and leadership skill acquired during the orientation to their daily activities.
He also called on the traditional institutions and residents of the various communities in which the corps members will serve, to extend their warm hospitality, even as he stressed the need for youths to blend with the communities and generate creative ideas towards moving the communities forward.
Momoh commended the high level of discipline exhibited by corps members during the orientation. He said that their experience at the orientation camp should bring out the best in them in the discharge of their duties during the national service and beyond.
Momoh said the NYSC members were expected to job creators and not job seekers, adding that skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme is now a major component of the NYSC orientation course.
He encouraged the youths to take advantage of the various platforms available for start-up capital put in place by the scheme in partnership with business credit granting institutions such as the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which advance credit at zero or low interest rate to corps members.
 
JOSHUA BASSEY