By Muftau Ogunyemi
Akure – Mr Dare Aragbaiye, the Ondo State Head of Service, has called on MDAs and NGOs not to reject members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted to them for their primary assignments.
Aragbaiye made this call while hosting Mrs Grace Akpabio, the State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Friday in Akure.
The HoS said the state government had put a machinery in place to ensure that members of the corps are optimally utilised to achieve the accelerated transformation of the state.
Aragbaiye, who explained that the state government had yet to recruit more permanent teachers, said it had directed the state teaching service commission to intimate the office of the Head of Service to engage corps members in relevant fields.
“The Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu administration is trying within the limited available resources to inject more qualified teachers into the system and we are looking in the direction of the NYSC, which has adequate human resources to complement our efforts.
“The position of the Ondo State government is to engage more trained and competent corps members to fill the shortfall and I am confident that those engaged would be adequately motivated so that they can give their very best,” he said.
Aragbaiye, who reiterated the commitment of the state government to improve the welfare of corps members, praised the state coordinator for her maturity and tenacity in handling all the issues relating to NYSC members in the State.
Earlier, the State Coordinator expressed the appreciation of all the corps members serving in the state to the government for creating a conducive environment for them to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.
Akpabio said that the civil service as the engine room of governance in the state, should be the highest corps employer, as a way of showing support and solidarity to the laudable scheme and all employers should desist from rejecting corps members.
According to her, the number of graduate youths being mobilised for the programme every year from the various tertiary institutions both at home and abroad are greater than the number of available places of primary assignment.
“Some of our corps members serving in the various government owned schools are either under paid or not paid at all while some work under hazardous environments.
“We appeal to the office of the Head of Service to look into the matter and assist the scheme, as this will encourage the corps members to serve the nation diligently,” she said. (NAN)