The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reiterated that the idea for the establishment of its Trust Fund is Purposed towards addressing the challenges confronting the scheme including infrastructural deficit across the orientation camps.
NYSC director, press and public relations, Eddy Megwa stated this while debunking a media publication titled “How Nigerian Top Military Officers Secretary Push For Establishment Of NYSC Trust Fund To Steal As Their Retirement Package.”
He urged writers to clarify issues pertaining to the Scheme with the managers before rushing to publish, in order to guard against misleading the public.
The statement reads in parts, “The attention of NYSC Management has been drawn to a story with the above caption, making the rounds in the social media.
“The decision to establish NYSC Trust Fund was conceived during a meeting held with some of the Scheme’s stakeholders; notably: the thirty-six State Governments and FCT Administration; and thereafter strongly supported by civil societies, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as well as Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).
“Primarily, the Fund is purposed to address the infrastructural deficit besetting the Scheme in the area of camp renovation and maintenance; upgrading, building and maintenance of Corps Members’ Lodges, among others.
“Statutorily, the Scheme as it were, has a tripartite funding arrangement – the Federal, State and Local Governments, with each having varying degree of responsibilities.
“Over the years, the Scheme has equally partnered governmental and non-governmental institutions in the area of providing start-up capitals to Corps Members to fund their business initiatives under the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme which is a direct answer to the often asked rhetorical question: After the NYSC what next?.
“The Trust Fund will provide funds to a greater percentage of Corps Members trained under the NYSC Skill Acquisition programme to start-up their businesses.
“It is appropriate to clarify that the Fund which passed public hearing, with civil societies, the academia, among others, fully represented is not a pool of slush fund meant to gratify the financial cravings of top military officers as erroneously stated by the writer of the story,” he added.
