Lack of funds affecting NYSC – Olawumi

Outgoing Director General, National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Johnson Olawumi handing the NYSC flag over to the 17th incoming Director General of the scheme, Brigadier General Sule Zakari Kazaure at the Scheme's National headquarters Abuja yesterday.
Former Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Johnson Olawumi, yesterday said the increasing number of corps members and dwindling financial resources were the major challenges he encountered while in office.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja handing over to the 17th director general of the scheme, Brigadier General Sule Zakari Kazaure, he said series of letters were written to the appropriate authorities on the need for proper funding of the NYSC, especially now that the current corps population is over 260, 000.
He said the government’s attention was drawn to the urgent need to increase some allowances that were due to corps members.
Olawumi urged his successor to prioritise the welfare of corps members during and after their orientation camp programme as well as that of the staff. He urged the new director general to sustain the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to reduce the tide of unemployment and promote self-reliance among corps graduates.
He thanked corps members and staff of the scheme for their cooperation and support for him during his tenure and urged them to extend same to his successor.
The new director general, Brigadier General Sule Zakari Kazaure, promised to contribute his own quota to the development of the scheme.