May 09, (THEWILL) – Corps members, still answering the clarion call in Ebonyi, have joined in the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in the State.
The Corps members, on Tuesday, led by the State Coordinator, Mrs Bamai Mercy Dawuda, came out in their numbers in the company of other camp officials, as they embarked on a road walk in the streets of Abakaliki, singing solidarity songs.
Addressing the Corps members at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the NYSC Coordinator said the scheme has contributed in the socio-economic development of the nation for 50 years now, and have continued to engender youth and national integration.
Mrs Bamai noted that the NYSC, at its 50 years, is still relevant in nation-building, following the impactful services rendered by the corps members and their predecessors; however, she urged them to sustain the tempo by promoting the core values of the scheme in advancing the country.
She advocated for the sustenance of the NYSC, contending against every impression to scrap the scheme because, in her words, “it has widely contributed to national integration and development in all spheres of human endeavours.”
Meanwhile, in an interview, the Coordinator disclosed that the reason behind the celebration of the NYSC 50th Anniversary was as a result of the successes already recorded by the scheme.
“The NYSC has achieved so much, we have to tell Nigerians about our existence for the 50 years, come the 22nd May 2023.
“NYSC has created a great impact on society, especially on promoting National unity and development in all areas of life including in education, health, and legal, among other sectors.
“Can you talk about youth empowerment, socio-economic development, and national integration? NYSC has done much in those areas and I’m confident that the scheme will continue to be more relevant as it continues to advance in age”, she said.
Commissioner for Youths and Sports in Ebonyi, Charles Akpuenika, represented by Ben Okike, during the event, commended the conduct of the Corps members and the NYSC staff in the State.
Akpuenika, the Chairman of the State NYSC Board, further commended the impacts of the Scheme, especially on promoting national integration, cultural breeding and socialisation among Nigerians in different parts of the country since its inception.
Recall that the unity march for the NYSC 50th Anniversary by the Corps members and their officials was observed on Tuesday, 9th May, in all the five Southeast states including Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo; where the sit-at-home order of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) did not allow them to join their counterparts in other regions to mark the event yesterday, Monday, 8th May, 2023.
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