By Gbenga Akingbule
Measures employed by Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum in ensuring security and stability have been identified as reasons for the return of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation course to the state after twelve years.
Gatekeepers News reports the Borno State Coordinator of NYSC Mohammed Adamu Jiva, on Tuesday, in Maiduguri, the state capital commended Governor Zulum on his efforts at ensuring that corps members resume their orientation courses in the state as against being deployed to other northern states for the programme.
Boko Haram terrorist attacks in the last 12 years forced the NYSC to halt its orientation camp course programme due to concerns about the safety of corp members and officials.
But since the assumption of office in 2019, the state government led by Prof Zulum has continued to take steps to ensure the return of displaced persons to their communities and provide them with palliatives to restart their lives.
The Federal government through the different security agencies has also made concerted efforts at decimating the insurgents thereby paving the way for the state government to resettle and empower its citizens
At the Swearing-In ceremony for the 2023 Batch ‘B’ Stream, I Corps Members held at the temporary orientation camp, Umar Mustapha El-kenemi Arabic College, the NYSC stated that a total of 1,125 Prospective Corps Members were registered comprising 629 males and 496 females.
According to the NYSC State Coordinator, “On behalf of the NYSC Management, Staff, and Corps Members, I want to sincerely thank you (Governor Zulum) for your role in facilitating the return of the Orientation Course to Borno state and for providing us with all the necessary facilities that made this day a reality.
“Your Excellency Sir, I give thanks to the Almighty Allah for blessing you with tremendous physical strength, and capacity which empowers you in your strive to uplift the living standard of the good people of Borno State,” the NYSC State Coordinator said.
Mr Jiva also commended the joint commitment of security agencies to ensuring the resumption of the Orientation camp course in the state, noting that ” no one has reported any case of security threat to life and property in the course of their ( corps members) respective journeys to the Borno States.”
Prof . Zulum did not waste to responding to the demand of the NYSC state coordinator as he announced that the state government will soon embark on the renovation of the construction of the permanent orientation camp.
Governor Zulum also notified the camp managers of the state government’s desire to positively engage corps members who are graduates of medical and health-related courses noting that corps members with other qualifications will also be carried along
“I wish to notify the camp managers to work with the officials of the state government with a view to selecting corps members with Medical and health-related courses so that we can very soon engage them. I also want to be very specific, I want to know how many corps members you have in the area of Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, English and Vocational studies; I want to get their list before the end of the camp so that we can utilise their talents.
“I assure you (corps members) that you will have good testimony to make at the end of this year Insha Allah. I wish to restate that my administration is aware of all your welfare needs and will ensure you have reasons to outshine previous corps members in the state,” Gov Zulum said.
