By FOLASADE AKPAN

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon has urged the management of the NYSC to sustain the tempo of its on-going strides which has kept the scheme in national and global limelight.

Gowon made the call on Thursday in Abuja, while inaugurating the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Television and Radio Stations.

Gowon said that the scheme had in almost five decades of its existence successfully harnessed the potentials of graduate youth as models for defining patriotism, credible and quality leadership as well as economic regeneration.

According to him, the media outfits will no doubt contribute towards enhancing and sustaining the capacity of the scheme to consolidate its achievements and reach out to its global audience.

He said “in particular they will serve as veritable tools for driving our quest for national unity: cohesion and purposeful development.

“It is my earnest expectation that Nigerians will not only find the NYSC radio and television stations as reliable platforms for information dissemination, education and entertainment, but also ensures regular patronage of their services.

“In doing so, we will be demonstrating our collective determination to bequeath a better nation to future generations of Nigerians,” he said.

Gowon said that he was delighted that corps members continued to render patriotic and selfless services to the country, especially as active participants in the implementation of national programmes.

“Programmes such as elections, immunisation, population census and advocacy programmes on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and HIV/AIDS campaign, amongst others.”

He added that he hoped that the achievements would be given the widest publicity by the stations in order to elicit increased support from the general public.

The elder statesman appreciated governments at all levels for according priority to matters of youth development and the NYSC in particular.

He appealed to all stakeholders to give more support to the scheme in its arduous task of promoting national unity, integration and development in line with its vision.

He also expressed support for the proposed NYSC Trust Fund, adding that he was impressed with the progress being made on the legislative processes towards the passage of the Bill on the establishment of the fund at the National Assembly.

The Director-General of NYSC, Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, said that the NYSC continued to provide successive batches of corps members with the requisite platforms to make meaningful contributions to national development in various aspects of the nation.

He said that the establishment of the stations was part of activities to further advance the cause of the scheme, which symbolizes national unity.

“It is in the forefront of raising a crop of youth entrepreneurs that contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Products through their exposure to the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development training.

“While the NYSC Radio broadcasts to Channel 88.3 FM in Abuja, the NYSC Television runs on TStv Channel 365.

“The philosophy behind the establishment of these stations is multifaceted as they will educate and entertain, give the scheme a stronger voice to propagate the programmes and sensitise Nigerians on the policies of government.

“They will add to the promotion of national unity, national ethos, as well as values re-orientation.

“Thus, they will contribute in redirecting the mindsets of Nigerians, especially the youth, towards things that are noble”, he said.

The director-general pledged that the stations would always abide by the code of conduct guiding the broadcast industry in Nigeria.

According to him, the stations will be run responsibly, professionally and efficiently so as to sustain and deepen the philosophy behind their establishment.

Ibrahim also said that the station would be primarily run by corps members under the supervision of relevant NYSC staff members.

He added that they would also provide an avenue to train and hone the skills of successive batches of corps members interested in pursuing careers in the broadcast industry.

Listing some of the achievements of the present management, Shuaibu said it had published

Nine books that highlighter the contributions of NYSC to national unity and development from inception to the year 2020.

”Others are resuscitation of weekly NYSC Tv and radio programmes, production of NYSC movies, establishment of the NYSC Museum, the NYSC National Cultural Troupe, North Central Skill Acquisition Centre and the new NYSC Garment Factory, Bakery and Water Factory in Keffi, Nasarawa State,” he said.

He also said that there was an aggressive revenue generation drive through the NYSC Ventures and the NYSC Integrated Online System and that there had been a successful commencement of the enrolment of Corps members for the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Mr Eddy Megwa, Director, Press and Public Relations, said that the stations would tremendously boost the visibility of the scheme in the media space both locally and internationally and also project and amplify the many achievements of the scheme.

In attendance among other dignitaries were the Director-Generals of the Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Mr Mansur Liman and Mr Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity. (NAN)

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