BY VICTOR NWEGEDE
The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has charged the exit corps members to prioritize on self-development and capacity building while struggling to make a better living in the society.
The Director of NYSC South East Area Office, Mrs Dorathy Ngozi Nwatarali gave the advice, Thursday at Nkaliki, the headquarters of Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State during the passing out ceremony of the 2021 Batch 'A' Stream 'I' Corps Members.
Mrs Nwatarali, represented by the Assistant Director, Corps Development from the South East Area Office , Mrs Ifeoma Ben-Ushie thanked God for the successful completion of the corps members' one year service to the nation and asked them to make good of the skills exposed to them during their service.
Her words: "I thank God for this journey that you commenced, because, somebody said, 'a journey of thousand mile, starts with a step. That first step you took many months ago, which some of you were scared, didn't even know what to do, with mixed feelings and expectations is coming to an end today. May God take all the glory.
"If you look around, while some of us are standing here to pass out, there are some who died on the way and It's not their choice. There are some facing abscondment and extension of service because they didn't abide by the instructions.
"By the grace of God, we have gone through the cardinal programmes, all the instructions of the orientation, you carried out your primary assignment and involved in the community development services and this morning, you will receive your certificate. Though, it is not the end, but it's just a stepping stone towards building your future. If you have been focused when you started your service to the nation, by now, you would have known how successful you are.
"Somebody said, whatever a mind of man can conceive and believe, he can achieve. What is that thing in your heart? Did you leave a legacy during your service? Are you one of the awardees? Now, you are leaving, peradventure you didn't follow through all the instructions. NYSC has core values - loyalty, integrity, teamwork and other things. Now is still the time, some of you are entrepreneur and whatever you are, you need to be focused. Don't follow the crowd. Don't conform with the trend and you shouldn't join Yahoo-Yahoo group, because there are many things now distracting the young people. Please, don't allow yourselves to be distracted. Focus on your own plan and you will achieve it.
"When you start life, think more of the development agenda to focus on. Somebody said, don't work hard on your job but work hard on yourself. It's time to work hard and make it a practical reality of the philosophy of your life, the already acquired skills, and other potentials embedded in you, at least between now and three years. Think of where you will be, whether among those on the top or those below them. Receiving your NYSC certificate should not remain done and dusted, like some ex-corps members did say. Your question should be what is next?
"It's obvious that the government can't employ everybody. We did about six orientations last year, and all of them are going to pass out this year 2022 and another stream of corps members will commence, because we are entering camp very soon. You have to ask yourself, what age are you having over everybody passing out? Begin to think about yourself, because I don't think any of you will return home and ask of money for recharge card. You have to start making money by yourself because the platform was made available for you during your service. In all that where exposed to you from orientation camp, post camp training and what you learnt in your place of primary assignment, which one did you cue in?
In her part, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs Bamai Mercy Dawuda, commended the outgoing corps members for their excellent performance during their service to the nation and equally urged them to remain the good ambassadors of the scheme at their respective places of engagement after the passing out ceremony.
Mrs Bamai represented by Mr john Henry Surh, the Assistant Director in charge of the NYSC Human Resources Development in the state, also advised the exiting corps members not to allow people to underrate them in the society.
"If you don't put value upon yourself, people will trample upon you. Do not in one moment devalue yourself. It doesn't matter the course you read or grade you come out with, put value on yourself so that men will not turn you to tissue paper, use you to clean their anus and flush out through the toilet.
"As for job, you'll be fully engaged if only you believe in yourself. I know some of you have taken advantage of our skill acquisition programmes, either the hard skills or the soft skills. But whatever line you find yourself, please, be dedicated and good at it. Heaven is your limit, because you will rise above the sky," she said.
She equally advised the outgoing corps members to avoid sharp practices like doing ritual to get quick rich. "Follow the narrow road other than broad way, which is the road of destruction," she hinted.
The NYSC Coordinator urged the exiting corps members to be security conscious, while praying God to grant journey mercies to them as they travel back to their respective homes.
The outgoing corps members, Mrs Olala Lawal from Lagos State, Mr Mbah Inyere Godspower from Akwa Ibom State, and many others who interacted with our correspondent commended NYSC highly, saying that the scheme should be sustained in considering its contributions in promoting national integration and development.
Recall that 658 corps members passed out from the state while 14 of them bagged extension of service and 15 others repeated service following their abscodment from duties.