Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployed to the state to embrace selfless service, patriotism and responsibility in the discharge of their duties to the nation.
Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Nonwa-Gbam, in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, while declaring closed the 2026 Batch C, Stream I orientation course for corps members deployed to the state.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Promise Oguzie, the governor urged the corps members to integrate seamlessly into their host communities by respecting their cultural values and traditions.
He advised them to serve as role models and agents of positive change by identifying challenges within their host communities and contributing meaningfully to addressing them.
The governor also urged the corps members to take the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme seriously, noting that the training would equip them with the requisite skills to become self-reliant, create wealth and generate employment opportunities.
He emphasised the need for them to approach their national service with dedication and a strong sense of responsibility, while upholding the ideals of the NYSC scheme.
Earlier, the Rivers State NYSC Coordinator, Mr Moses Oleghe, commended the corps members for their resilience, discipline and commitment throughout the three-week orientation exercise.
Oleghe said the training had instilled in them the values of teamwork, civic responsibility and active participation in nation-building, urging them to sustain the spirit of service as they proceeded to their respective places of primary assignment.
He also expressed appreciation to Fubara for approving and implementing an increase in the state's monthly allowance for corps members serving outside Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt City local government areas.
According to him, corps members posted to locations outside the two local government areas would receive ₦35,000 monthly, while those serving in Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt City would receive ₦20,000.
Oleghe said the differential allowance was intended, among other objectives, to encourage corps members to accept postings outside the state's major urban centres and address what he described as persistent pressure from parents and guardians seeking urban postings for their wards.
He urged the corps members to remain worthy ambassadors of the NYSC by demonstrating professionalism, integrity and commitment to duty in their respective places of primary assignment.
The NYSC coordinator also acknowledged the contributions of security agencies and other stakeholders to the successful conduct of the orientation exercise.
A total of 3,280 corps members, comprising 1,380 males and 1,900 females, successfully completed the 2026 Batch C, Stream I orientation course in Rivers State.
