LAGOS – Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Monday charged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) corps members to be of good conduct during the forthcoming 2015 general elections.
Fashola said this at the closing ceremony of the three weeks’ orientation for 2014 NYSC Batch ‘B’ Stream II corps members held at Iyana-Ipaja, a suburb of Lagos.
You should emulate the good records of your predecessors in serving the nation meritoriously before, during and after the elections, he said.
Fashola, represented by Dr. Wale Ahmed, Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, recalled that the local and international observers had commended corps members for their roles in previous general elections.
“Fellow compatriots, you will recall the involvement of corps members in the past general elections where they were acclaimed to have performed well by local and international observers.
“In few months from now, you will also be called upon to participate in the 2015 general elections.
“I urged you to emulate the good records of your predecessors and conduct yourselves as responsible corps members that you are.
“Government on its part will continue to make the welfare and security of corps members a priority.
“I implore you to make use of the emergency security numbers -112 and 767 toll free lines- whenever the need arises,” he said.
Fashola also urged employers of corps members to assign challenging duties to them and not see them simply as birds of passage or tools to be used and discarded.
“I urged corps members to be diligent, dedicated and law abiding in the discharge of their duties.
“You should also shun truancy and other forms of anti-social behaviours such as cultism and drug abuse, rather be good ambassador of the NYSC by engaging yourselves in productive activities.
“Over the years, the NYSC scheme has impacted positively on the socio-economic development of this nation, particularly, the rural communities, through the various community development projects embarked by your predecessors,” he said.
Mrs Adenike Adeyemi , the Lagos State Coordinator of the NYSC, said the corps members were well behaved, enthusiastic, positive and forward looking.
“After three weeks of conscientious training, they are prepared and equipped to discharge their duties at their places of primary assignment with high degrees of assiduousness, dedication, determination and professionalism.
“Our dear corps members, during the next 11 months, being the next step in the service year, make every effort to develop your greatest asset- yourself.
“You have an abundance of potential within you, bring it out to fruition.
“It is a known fact that the world is going through a paradigm shift from offering white collar jobs to unlocking hidden potentials of young people towards being wealth creator.
“You have been exposed to these skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme during the orientation course which will give you power to make wealth,” she said. (NAN)
