By John Ikani
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service for one graduate from each of the immediate families of the 10 slain National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in 2011 in Bauchi State.
The 10 Corps members were killed in Bauchi State in some northern states following the 2011 election won by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Akin Dare, who disclosed this on Tuesday said the President also approved scholarships to the four children of Mr. Adowei Elliot, a Delta State indigene killed during the post-election violence.
Dare announced these during inauguration of the National Governing Board of the NYSC on Tuesday in Abuja.
A statement issued by the Ministry’s spokesperson Mohammed Manga, quoted the Minister as saying: “As a sign of the Federal Government’s unflinching commitment to the NYSC, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the automatic employment of 10 direct siblings of the deceased NYSC members, who lost their lives during the 2011 post-election violence in Bauchi State and also approved appropriate scholarships to the four children of Mr. Adowei Elliot.”
While calling on the board members to come up with initiatives that will make the NYSC more impactful and increasingly endearing to all Nigerians, the Minister endorsed the proposal by stakeholders for establishment of a National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund.
He called on all stakeholders to support actualisation of the Fund, saying the initiative will not only strengthen the NYSC but also serve as a sustaining source of providing start-up capital for the trained corps members to actualise their business plans and in turn employ more Nigerians.
What you should know
In 2011, immediately after the presidential election, some electorates, mostly CPC supporters took to violence to express their dissatisfaction with the election result. In the process, at least 50 people including serving corps members in Bauchi state were killed.
Former President Jonathan had in May 2011 hosted family members of the slain corps members at the Presidential Villa where he formally condoled them on the loss of their loved ones and unveiled some of the goodies which the government has set aside to compensate them.
The first on the list of the goodies, according to the then President was the immediate disbursement of N5 million to each family of the 10 members of the NYSC killed in the post election violence that erupted in parts of the North.
Similarly, Jonathan also approved automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service for one graduate from each of the immediate family of the slain NYSC members.
