The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is considering the postponement of batch A Stream 11 orientation programme scheduled for Friday.
Sule Kazaure, director-general of the service, disclosed this on Monday when he appeared before the senate committee on youth and sports.
He said the money required for the exercise was yet to be provided, saying the NYSC had written several letters requesting for the money, but that as at Monday, it was yet to receive response from the federal government.
“We had written to federal ministry of youth and sports, finance, budget and the presidency even before the end of the orientation camp for Batch A, Stream One,” he said.
“We are presently at a loss in NYSC now as there is no money for us to mobilise thousands of prospective corps members in the Batch A Stream 2 to camp this Friday.
“This is in spite of efforts made by us to get things done in that direction several weeks ago. The problem staring us in the face arose from the N13 billion shortfall we had in the 2016 budget estimate which the agency made strong request for its provision during budget defence.”
Kazaure, however, expressed the hope that the presidency might make last minute intervention by providing “the urgently-needed fund for the programme’’.
He told the committee that Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, had invited Solomon Dalung, minister of youths and sports, to a meeting over the matter.
Obina Ogba, chairman of the senate committee, assured the NYSC that the national assembly would intervene in the matter.
He said during the week, the senate would convene a meeting to discuss with all the parties concerned.
“We have listened to you and we are also disturbed by the problem at hand as regards paucity of funds for mobilisation of prospective corps members,” he said.
“NYSC is not something to joke with; even if it is though urgent supplementary budget provisions, the problem must be quickly tackled by the federal government.”
The stream one exercise, which ended last week, was postponed twice, but no reason was given for the action.
Credit: thecableng
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