By HABIBU HARISU

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has cautioned employers against ill treatment of corps members in areas of primary assignment.

The State Coordinator, Alhaji Usman Yakubu-Yaro, spoke on the issue on Monday in Sokoto, at the 2025 corps employers? workshop with the theme ?The Role of Employers?.

Yakubu-Yaro advocated for maximum security and welfare of corps members in order to encourage productive service.

He expressed displeasure with increasing cases of rejection of corps members, some of which those deployed influenced themselves.

The coordinator said there were cases of corps members being underutilised as well as delay in issuance of monthly clearance to some deserving ones.

He identified abscondment of corps members, ill treatment in the workplace, lack of support for corps members? Community Development Service (CDS) projects and lack of accommodation as other problems.

Yakubu-Yaro said that the corps employers? workshop served as an avenue for exchanging ideas on the improvement of NYSC operations.

He stressed that NYSC remained committed to fulfilling its objectives and much had been achieved.

The coordinator described the scheme as a veritable tool for promoting national unity and accelerated socio-economic development of the nation.

?Since the inception of the scheme, the NYSC Management/Corps Employers? Forum has enabled both parties, who are critical managers of corps members, to enhance the corps members? capacity for effective engagement,? he said.

According to him, stakeholders should always consider young men and women in National Service as change agents and key contributors to the development of the country.

In her remark, NYSC Governing Board Chairperson and the Permanent Secretary of Sokoto Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, Hajia Hadiza Galadima, reiterated the state government?s commitment to corps members? welfare and safety at all times.

Galadima, also the Permanent Secretary of Sokoto Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, urged employers to live up to expectations in their responsibilities to corps members and the NYSC.

The Resource Person, Dr Okoro Robertson, from Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, described corps employers as important tools for molding corps members? productive lives.

Robertson cautioned authorities against redeploying or posting corps members to places of their wish without cogent reasons.

He said such a move ran counter to the scheme?s objective of national unity and integration.

The resource person advised NYSC to post corps members where they would be accepted and cared for.

He urged the commission to monitor the performance of the corps members.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured discussions by participating employers on issues.

It also featured feedback from the corps? employers and other strategic stakeholders on the strengths, weaknesses, potential of the scheme and ways to strengthen its operations. (NAN)

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