The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called for an immediate reform of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC to effect an institutionalised public-private partnership in the management of the service.
Welcoming the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Dogara Ahmed, into his office on Monday, Governor Adeleke said the present model of the NYSC is unsustainable considering the prevailing fiscal state of the nation.
“The present structure appears unsustainable considering the state of the national economy. We need to restructure the service to reduce the burden of financing on the public sector. We can deepen the public-private partnership. We can enhance state government participation. We can make it truly a federalised service to bring regional innovations. We must think out of the box,” the governor advocated.
He said Osun State is particularly interested in the NYSC “because we believe it is the strongest weapon to strengthen national unity and development.”
He added that the NYSC is a platform that has helped to produce Nigerians who truly see themselves as patriots.
“It is our faith in the potency of the NYSC that motivated our administration to support the operations of the service in Osun State. We have backed the service through upgrades to her facilities and orientation camp. We are still committed to doing more because the service provides invaluable service to the state and the federation,” Adeleke promised.
The NYSC boss, in his remarks, told the governor that he was in Osun to review the operation of the service and to present a specific request for the attention of the state government.
Ahmed, while appreciating the state government for its logistic and financial support for the NYSC, urged Governor Adeleke to support the service to build a state secretariat.
He also requested the constitution of a state committee as well as state support for the expansion of orientation facilities.
