Politics

Buhari Grants 65 Ex-Corps Members Automatic Employments

Published

2 years ago

May 18, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari has granted automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service to 65 former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Speaking at the NYSC 50th Anniversary Honours Award held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday, the Nigerian leader also highlighted numerous achievements of the scheme since its establishment 50 years ago.

The president said out of the 65 recipients, 52 individuals received the Presidential Honours Awards, while the remaining 13 were physically challenged ex-Corps Members recognised under the NYSC Hope Alive programme.

In addition to the employment, Buhari also disclosed that both groups would be awarded scholarships to pursue their education up to the doctorate degree level at any university of their choice within the country.

He also announced a cash prize of N250,000.00 for each of the top award winners, N200,000.00 for other award recipients, including the physically challenged ex-Corps members under the NYSC Hope Alive Programme.

Consequently, the president issued a directive to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the Minister of Education to ensure adherence to the employment offers and the granting of scholarships.

Buhari also used the occasion to pay tribute to corps members from the batches being honoured, who lost their lives under various circumstances while serving the nation.

‘‘But for their transitioning, some of them might have been here today as part of the honourees. May God grant their souls peaceful repose. They remain our heroes and heroines.

”The nation shall continue to remember their sacrifices towards building a strong, indivisible and egalitarian entity,’’ he said.

The president also sympathised with those sustained varying degrees of disability during the service year, acknowledging their significant sacrifices for the progress of the country and assuring them that the nation stands in solidarity with them.

‘‘Your labour shall not be in vain,’’ he said.

He also congratulated the founding fathers, past and present managers of the NYSC on its Golden Jubilee, commending their enduring faith, which has maintained NYSC as a vital platform for mobilising the youth towards national unity and development.

Buhari praised all Nigerians who have answered the call for National Service in the past fifty years for their patriotic zeal and commitment to the NYSC mandate.

According to him, it has justified its establishment as an interventionist agency, with a core mandate to foster national unity across the country, thereby breaking down ethnic suspicions and divisions.

‘‘The multiplicity of marriages contracted over the years by Corps Members, cutting across the boundaries of ethnicity and religion in no small measure, justifies my assertion,’’ he said.

Buhari also expressed his deep appreciation to retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the founding father of the scheme, who conceived the idea of the corps and brought it to fruition on May 22, 1973.

‘‘The NYSC has continued to afford successive batches of Corps Members as the veritable platform to make meaningful contributions, in the various spheres of our national life,’’ he said.

The president specifically commended the corps members for their role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by producing and distributing essential items such as face masks, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, and providing food and other relief materials to the needy people across the country.

He also applauded their discipline and neutrality when serving as adhoc personnel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including during the 2023 General Elections, which contributed to enhancing the credibility of the electoral system.

The president acknowledged their contributions to the successful implementation of Social Intervention Programme,s such as N-Power and the School Feeding program through beneficiary enumeration.

‘‘I hasten to state without equivocation that with the quality of youths such as these, the future of this country, which rests upon their shoulders, is guaranteed.

”I give kudos to my dear diligent, patriotic and virile youths. You have done very well; and the Nation is very proud of you.

‘‘The success story of the fifty-year-old noble scheme will be incomplete without conspicuous mention of your outstanding contributions,’’ he said.

While recognising the crucial role of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development program in diversifying the national economy towards a more production-oriented model, Buhari assured continued government support for youth initiatives.

He highlighted the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), with a budget of N75 billion, as an example of empowerment initiatives aimed at promoting youth-related activities and fostering a better Nigeria.

The president commended the NYSC Management for its efforts in revenue generation and encouraged them to sustain its commitment.

He also appreciated the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers implemented by the NYSC and recognised the support of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, who donated a well-equipped ambulance for the operation of the NYSC Mobile Clinic.

Buhari called on individuals and corporate bodies to emulate this gesture to enhance access to quality healthcare, especially in rural communities.

On the need to reinvent the NYSC through the establishment of a Trust Fund, Buhari said he had been ‘‘briefed adequately’’ on the matter and commended the Management for the initiative.

He pledged his support for any genuine effort aimed at assisting the scheme in achieving its time-tested objectives.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, while commending the former corps members chosen for the presidential honour, said their sacrifices and commendable contributions, reflected the positive values they embodied during their service year.

“By distinguishing yourselves among hundreds of thousands of Corps members, you embody the nation’s pride and serve as a source of inspiration for other young people in Nigeria.

”Your strong sense of discipline, selflessness, dedication to work, exceptional community service, innovation, and leadership qualities enhance our hope for the country’s future.

”I am confident that this award will motivate you to render even greater service to our homeland.

“To the current corps members and other young individuals, it is my sincere hope that you will emulate these awardees by embracing higher ideals of patriotism.

”In everything you do, always prioritise Nigeria and let it manifest through sacrifice and dedicated service to our beloved nation,” he said.

Dare listed the N75 billion NYIF, the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES) and the National Young Farmers’ Scheme (NYFS) as enduring legacies of the Buhari administration’s deep commitment to the well-being and development of the Nigerian youth.

He said the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development had actively pursued initiatives such as Digital Skills Acquisition, Employability, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership (DEEL), as well as the Work Experience Programme (WEP), among others for the benefit of the youths.

According to the minister, the progress achieved through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program of NYSC is being consolidated by the current management.

He urged corps members and other young people to participate in these programmes, which would enable them to become self-employed and contribute to the growth of the nation’s economy.

Politics

Drama As PDP Staff Shut Offices, Reject Anyanwu’s Return

Published

37 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

In a dramatic fashion, management and staff of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Secretariat, yesterday shut their offices and staged a mass walkout in protest against Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s attempt to forcibly reclaim his position as national secretary.

The protest came after the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, appointed Setonji Koshodeo as acting National Secretary, an appointment the staff had earlier pledged to support.

According to multiple sources who spoke to Vanguard in Abuja, Anyanwu arrived at the party headquarters with suspected thugs and tried to take control of the national secretary’s office.

But staff members, determined not to recognise or work with him, quickly mobilised and vacated the premises, leaving Anyanwu stranded and visibly embarrassed.

One of the protesting staff members said: “Anyanwu and his people entered the building. It wasn’t just an attempt, they actually went straight into the national secretary’s office with some of his aides.”

As the standoff continued, the PDP secretariat remained deserted, with staff insisting they would not return until Anyanwu vacated the office.

The protest was a show of loyalty to the NWC. Back in May, the staff had publicly pledged to support the committee’s decision, insisting that Koshoedo’s appointment followed the party’s internal procedures.

Another source revealed that Anyanwu was later advised by his aides to leave quietly to avoid further humiliation.

“We had all left our offices and walked out in protest. That firm action led to his exit,” the source said.

Explaining further, the staff added: “When he realised the atmosphere was hostile and there was no one left to work with, apart from the few people he came with, his aides advised him to leave, rather than remain in such an awkward situation.”

The incident has triggered accusations within the party, with some staff alleging that Anyanwu is a ‘mole’ planted by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to cause chaos within the PDP, ahead of the 2027 elections.

Although unconfirmed, these allegations have added to growing tension within the party.

The walkout has raised fresh concerns about the PDP’s internal unity and its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

As the main opposition party, some fear its credibility could suffer if the leadership crisis is not quickly resolved.

The situation highlighted the growing factionalisation within the party and the challenge of staying united.

The PDP has not yet issued an official statement on the matter. Attempts to reach the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls to his phone.

Politics

He Could Barely Garner 300,000 Votes, Yet Promising Tinubu 2.5m Votes, PDP Mocks Okpehbolo

Published

15 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Editor

…Says ‘Baba Sala’ may have risen in Edo

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mocked the state governor, Monday Okpebholo, on what the party described as “laughable and utterly unrealistic statement…” wherein he promised to “deliver 2.5 million votes from Edo State to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election,” stressing that this a “man who could barely manage 300,000 votes for himself in a governorship election that was marred by heavy militarisation…”

A statement issued on Monday night by Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary,
Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, described the statement as not “only comical but an outright insult to the intelligence of Edo people.”

Nehikhare, who alleged that Okpebholo won the election through fraudulent means, question: “despite all the rigging, concocted figures, deployment of federal might, and blatant suppression of the people’s will, how many votes did Okpebholo and the APC muster? Just 291,000 votes.”

He said: “The people of Edo State remember vividly the electoral heist of September 2024—an operation carried out in open connivance with the electoral umpire and the federal security apparatus, where figures were conjured from thin air to fraudulently force Okpebholo into office. That sham of an election remains a matter of legal contention in the courts today.

“Now, with a straight face, he wants Nigerians to believe he can mobilise 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027—just about the entire number of registered voters across all 18 local government areas in the State. Such a claim is not only absurd but reeks of desperation and sycophancy, clearly aimed at pleasing his Abuja benefactors in a bid to legitimise the September 2024 electoral charade.”

The opposition mouthpiece, who expressed concern that at a time “Edo people are grappling with growing insecurity as a direct result of lack of leadership, while hunger and economic hardship ravage homes daily, and the state collapses under the burden of decaying infrastructure and poor governance, wondered that “Okpebholo’s top priority appears to be seeking applause in Abuja through empty posturing and hollow political promises.”

Nehikhare, while urging President Tinubu not to be “swayed by the noise and exaggerated claims of political opportunists,” urged “Okpebholo to step out of his echo chamber, abandon the obsession with political showmanship, and face the urgent task of governance and delivering real results to the people of Edo State.”

Politics

2027: Bauchi Speaker Responds To Call To Join Guber Race

Published

3 days ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Suleiman, has responded to those calling him to declare interest in the 2027 governorship race, saying it’s not the right time considering the fact that a lot of works are to be done.

Recall that Bauchi State Coalition of Youth and Civil Society Groups, during a press conference held earlier this week, urged the Speaker to consider contesting for the top seat, citing his experience and achievements in public service.

Responding to the call in a statement made available to INFO DAILY, the Speaker, who appreciated the confidence reposed in him by the coalition, however, maintained that governance and the fulfillment of his current mandate remain his immediate priority.

“While we sincerely appreciate the compliments and support expressed by the Bauchi State Coalition of Youth and Civil Society Groups, we believe that now is not the appropriate time to declare interest in any political position, including the 2027 gubernatorial race,” he said.

He added, “This is not the time. There is still a lot to do. Our primary focus at this moment is on representation and governance, serving the interests of our constituents faithfully.”

The Speaker stated that when the time is right to pursue such political ambitions, it would be done transparently and in consultation with party leaders, political allies, and the people of Bauchi State.

“We hold a mandate entrusted to us by our constituents, and it is our duty to act in their best interests,” he noted.

He urged the coalition and supporters to continue praying and supporting his efforts in delivering impactful governance.

“Our commitment remains to serve with integrity and to prioritize the welfare of our constituents above all,” he said.