The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, has said the scheme lost many corps members to night journeys.

He warned corps members to be wary of such trips.

Mr Ahmed spoke during a working visit to the Kaduna State NYSC temporary orientation camp on Tuesday where he also alerted the corps members to the dangers of night journeys.

He stated, “I have harped on the need to avoid night journeys in every NYSC camp and fora I find myself. My first priority is safety. If you take the decision to embark on a night journey, remember the dangers associated with it and have a rethink. Your lives are precious to us too.

 “Once you are on a journey and realised it is already 5pm, break up the journey, get a place to sleep and continue the following day.’’

 He said that most of the drivers were not familiar with the roads, saying that such a situation usually causes accidents among other factors such as fatigue.

 The director-general also advised the corps members to be security conscious, adding that no one would secure their lives more than they would do so themselves.

Mr Ahmed further advised them to restrict social media to personal consumption and tasking them on respect for constituted authorities.

He further tasked them on continuing with the regimentation they underwent in camp after their service year, adding that it would help them achieve greatness in their endeavours.

 “Uphold the ideals of patriotism, diligence, loyalty, respect for others culture/tradition and self-empowerment during service and beyond,’’ he stated.

He commended the camp officials and corps members for their orderliness and regimentation spirit, while restating his administration’s commitment to taking the scheme to greater heights.

Earlier, the state NYSC Coordinator, Hassan Taura, explained that the orientation was designed to mould the corps members into highly disciplined and patriotic youths capable of leading the country to greater heights.

He added that for that reason they participated in all the activities in camp which include military drills, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development training, language studies, leadership and martial
arts training including lectures on national topical issues.

Mr Taura, therefore, appealed to the director-general for a better operating environment and to address some challenges faced in the orientation camp such as inadequate amenities.

 He, however, thanked him for his positive disposition to the scheme’s smooth operation.

The high point of the event was cultural dance and cash donations to some of the corps members who distinguished themselves in camp activities. 

The corps members, who are members of the 2023 batch C stream 1 officially, began orientation on November 7.

(NAN)