NYSC nominates 140 corps members for presidential honours

• 1,999 posted to schools in Sokoto
The Presidential Honours Awards Committee of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has recommended 140 corps members for the 2016 honours.

NYSC Director-General Brigadier-General Sule Zakari Kazaure disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the opening of the 2016 President’s NYSC Honours Award National Selection Committee Meeting.

He said the selection process had been devoid of ethnic, religious and gender biases over the years, adding that the award was instituted in 1974 to reward corps members who offered exemplary services to the nation while participating in the exercise.

The director-general explained that corps members who requested relocation, concessional deployment, served in their states of origin or utilised personal or family funds to execute projects were not considered for the award as they have contravened the rules guiding the selection process.

Meanwhile, the NYSC held passing out from orientation camps for Batch ‘B’ corp members nationwide yesterday.

About 1,999 out of the 2,221 corp members deployed in Sokoto State have been posted to schools.

Mr. Thomas Yamma, the state coordinator of the NYSC said: “The decision was informed by the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector by the state government.”

In Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, at the NYSC orientation camp in Issele-Uku warned corps members against the rejection of postings to their places of primary assignment.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko while addressing corp members at the permanent orientation camp at Ikare Akoko in Ondo State charged them to ensure good relationship with their host communities.

Mimiko, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Dayo Awude, pledged government’s response to their welfare.

All state ministries, departments and agencies in Kebbi and Kano have been warned not to reject corps members posted there.

Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and his Kano State counterpart gave the directive yesterday.