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President Buhari Grants 65 Ex Corps Members Automatic Employment

Published

1 year ago

May 19, 2023

Joel Ajayi

President Muhammadu Buhari has granted automatic employment to 65 former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the Federal Civil Service
⁣The President who made the pronouncement on Thursday at the President’s NYSC Homours Award Ceremony held at the State House Conference Centre stated that, of the 65 recipients, 52 received the Presidential Honours Awards, while the remaining 13 were physically challenged ex-Corps Members, recognised under the NYSC Hope Alive Programme.

⁣President Buhari in addition awarded them scholarships to pursue their education up to the Doctorate Degree Level at any University of their choice within the country.⁣⁣

⁣He further announced a cash prize of N250,000 for each of the top award winners and N200,000 for other award recipients, including the physically challenged ex-Corps members.

The President who directed 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 offer and the granting of scholarship also paid glowing tribute to the founding father of the Scheme, General (Dr.) Yakubu Gowon, who not only envisioned the idea of the Corps, but equally brought it to fruition on 22nd May, 1973.

According to him, the Scheme has justified the reason for its establishment as an interventionist agency, with the core mandate to build bridges of national unity, across the length and breadth of the country, thereby pulling down walls of ethnic suspicions and divisions
He commended the Corps Members for their indelible roles in ensuring unity and stability in the country, especially the role they played in the 2023 recently concluded General Elections.

It is very appropriate to also add, the President said “that we cannot achieve any meaningful development in the face of needless and avoidable crises, with the youth as the purveyors, when they hold a higher stake in Nigeria more than the older adults. Youth, the future belongs to you. Therefore, it behoves you to protect your future by safeguarding Nigeria, in words and deeds.

My dear patriotic youth it is worthwhile to counsel that you do not yield to the centrifugal forces, acting either covertly or overtly, to undermine the country structurally, politically and economically. Doing otherwise is akin to fuelling the truncation of your future”, he said.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment towards the promotion of Youth related activities for a better Nigeria, especially his approval of the N75bn Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES), National Young Farmers Scheme (NYFS) as well as other supportive ventures aimed at empowering the youth of our country.

While congratulating the awardees, he called on other Corps members to key into the opportunities provided through various government initiatives to develop themselves for self reliance as well as contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation

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NAPTIP Restates Commitment To Fighting Human Trafficking

Published

2 days ago

July 25, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

… decries corruption in law enforcement, weak legislation

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, has pledged the agency’s commitment to fight human trafficking.

Waziri-Azi gave the assurance during an anti-corruption radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, in Abuja.

The commitment by NAPTIP follows an investigative report by Human Angle Media exposing how many Nigerians trafficked to Egypt are inhumanely treated and exploited by their sponsors.

Represented by the agency’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Mrs. Kehinde Akomolafe, decried the rising number of Nigerians who are victims of trafficking, pledging that “NAPTIP is fighting on all sides to curb human trafficking.”

Akomolafe disclosed that the agency is aware of the report of Nigerians trafficked to Egypt and has already commenced interventions to rescue them while warning citizens to be wary of “offers that are too good to be true.”

She identified weak legislation, lengthy judicial processes, and corrupt law enforcement officials as factors aiding and abetting trafficking in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world.

“Corruption is endemic and cuts across other countries of the world, and that’s why trafficking is easily perpetrated in Nigeria and around the globe. You find law enforcement officials aiding and abetting traffickers. Some of them know these traffickers from their operations either at the entry or exit point. They give them something or become too familiar with them.

“Apart from the bribery aspect, we also have officials turning a blind eye to trafficking activities, and that’s why for us at the agency (NAPTIP), we are not resting.”

According to her, the agency, from inception, secured 672 convictions, 67 in 2023, and 35 persons so far this year (2024). She added that “NAPTIP is winning the war against trafficking but still wants stiffer punishment for traffickers and the support of the judiciary in hastening cases.

“weak legislation is aiding trafficking. That’s why the agency continues pushing for amendments. Currently, NAPTIP is pushing for stiffer punishment against traffickers that will lead to confiscation of their monies and property.

“NAPTIP Director-General (Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi) is fighting on all sides against human trafficking.

“Where law enforcement officials are found complicit, NAPTIP Director-General does not take it lightly; she doesn’t compromise her anti-corruption stance even when a staff is involved,” Akomolafe stated.

According to the Editor of Southern Operations, Human Angle Media, Kabir Adejumo, many Nigerians trafficked to Egypt engage in forced labour. They are also living in fear as authorities go after illegal immigrants.

Adejumo said victims interviewed during the investigation are willing and interested in returning home, but their sponsors refuse to release their travel passports and threaten to implicate them.

He also revealed that the NAPTIP and Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) are aware of the plight of Nigerians trafficked in Egypt and have currently rescued one person.

On her part, the Programme Manager of the Human Angle Foundation, Angela Umoro-David, expressed satisfaction at NAPTIP’s response to trafficking cases while urging the agency to stay on course with their mandate.

Umoro-David called on Nigerians to use a Freedom of Information platform (foi.humananglemedia.com) to help citizens navigate requests for public records from different government parastatals and agencies.

She stressed that the platform “is a website where people can submit their FOI requests to us (Human Angle), and we’ll submit it on their behalf to the particular agency. So we act as middlemen, connecting these government parastatals to the citizens”.

Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation

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