The Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kebbi State, Bala Dabo-Kagarko, has appealed to the state government to relocate the orientation camp to Birnin Kebbi metropolis for the safety of corps members.

Mr Dabo-Kagarko made the appeal during an interaction with journalists at the temporary orientation camp at Bausara town in the Jega Local Government Area of the state.

He said security reports indicate that the town “is too exposed and the community does not have the capacity to secure the camp.”

The orientation camp was relocated from Dakingari, the permanent orientation camp in the Suru Local Government Area, to Basuara due to insecurity in the area.

Speaking on the relocation, Mr Dabo-Kagarko explained that it was not his own decision but that of security agencies.

He said the security agencies reported the need to move the camp to the state capital for the safety and security of corps members and to make the state attractive to them.

He stated, “Of recent, the NYSC requested to relocate this camp to Birnin Kebbi metropolis for the safety of the corps members. This area is on the outskirts of the town and the report from the security agencies was that this place is exposed and the community harbouring the camp cannot give adequate security for the camp, especially with the trend of the security issues going on now.

“That’s why we decided that the camp be relocated to Birnin Kebbi town so that corps members will do their orientation course and training at the Birnin Kebbi camp.”

He added that a few local government areas with security challenges had been ruled out for posting.

“These include Arewa, Augie, and Sakaba. The three local government areas are ruled out; we will not be posting corps members to those areas.

“All other LGAs are receiving our corps members and if you agree with me, the number of corps members posted now is not adequate for these remaining LGAs, even for Birnin Kebbi alone,” he said.

Mr Dabo-Kagarko also lamented issues affecting corps members’ posting to Kebbi, including the lack of corps lodges, poor facilities at orientation camps, and the N2,000 monthly stipend paid by the state government.

“These factors discourage some corps members from staying in the state. I am not trying to discredit the government or stakeholders on their efforts. However, Kebbi, which used to have over 1,000 corps members posted, now has only 492 due to the aforementioned factors.

“Out of these numbers, we only have five corps members with medical backgrounds. Some states now get 7,000 and 5,000 corps members, while Kebbi, which used to have over 1,000, is now struggling with 492 corps members,” he said.

He observed that Kebbi State was among the least states across Nigeria paying meagre allowances to corps members.

“They are paying N2,000 monthly, which is grossly inadequate. I continue to raise concern and complain about this, but up to now, nothing is done. But we hope something will be done on it. Some states are paying N50,000, some N30,000, while Kebbi is paying N2,000. Even that N2,000 is not paid regularly.

“If they pay this month, they will not pay until after three months. How do you think this will attract corps members to stay in Kebbi while their colleagues are getting N50,000, N30,000 somewhere,” he said.

According to him, the Planning and Research Department at NYSC has the mandate to visit camps across the country to assess available resources, and posting is based on those statistics.

He cited examples of individuals and officials constructing corps lodges in other states to attract corps members.

“People like Hassan Kuka built a big lodge in a village in Kaduna community and whenever corps members are posted to the place, they stay permanently. Of recent, I saw a large corps lodge constructed by the Deputy Governor of Gombe State. All these will attract corps members to the state because they are providing an enabling environment for them,” he said.

Mr Dabo-Kagarko stressed that the state needs to provide enough facilities for corps members to attract them, noting that many services rendered by over 20 Community Development Service (CDS) groups are under threat.

“These corps members you are seeing, their posting and mobilisation are at risk. Their posting is done by calculation.

If you have enough hostels, mattresses, availability of water supply, electricity, and other things, including toilet facilities, these are things they will consider before posting them,” the coordinator stated.

He, however, appealed to the state government and individuals in the state to continue to support the scheme through donations, construction of lodges, and other facilities to attract corps members to the state. 

(NAN)