Rejection of corps members by some MDA’s

APremium Times report published on 21st June, 2017 has this disturbing story on the callous act of some federal MDA’s that rejected corpers posted to serve in their establishment for reasons known to them. The report listed Public Complaints Commission, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission and NEMA amongst others as agencies found wanting of this misdemeanour against the corpers, the scheme and against the directive of the Acting President conveyed by his representative at the opening ceremony of the Batch ‘A’ orientation programme clearly which stated that no federal MDA should reject corpers posted to serve in their establishments. Excerpts of the statement delivered by the representative of the Acting President obtained states that...”The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, had warned that no corps member should be rejected, in line with the government policy forbidding MDAs from denying NYSC members a place to carry out their primary assignment.

Mr. Osinbajo gave the warning on May 25 during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2017 NYSC Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members at the Permanent Orientation Camp, Kubwa, Abuja at which he was represented by the Director, Human Resources, Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Amina Abubakar.

“The Acting President stressed that the policy was still in effect, urging parastatals to ensure its full implementation”. Based on the foregoing, it is however disappointing to read that some MDA’s went against the presidential directive. I hope appropriate sanctions would be meted against heads of such MDA’s to set an example to others who may have the same intent in the future. If government MDA’s reject corpers of a federal government managed National Youth Service Corps scheme posted to their respective MDA’s to serve for a year, I see no reason the government should go on with the scheme. If I may ask where do they (heads of the erring MDA’s) expect the corpers to serve? At beer parlours, restaurants or hotels? This inaction of rejecting corp members must stop. They deserve the right to serve in any federal agencies they are posted to; rejecting them is a violation of the Act establishing the scheme. How I wish one of those men at the green and red NASS chambers would think it wise to move for an amendment of the act establishing the NYSC scheme to make it an offence for government agencies to reject corpers posted to serve in their establishment, this would assist in stopping this anomaly.

Halilu Hassan wrote from Zaria, haliluhassan@yahoo.com