NYSC deploys biometric technology for check on corps members

Abuja – The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has
developed a biometric data capturing technology that will help in the nationwide conduct of weekly and monthly check on corps members.

The Director-General of the corps, Brig.-Gen. Johnson
Olawumi, said this during the inauguration and practical demonstration of the programme at the Kuje Area Council, Abuja.

“It is going to make sure that corps members stay in their places of primary assignment. It will reduce the rate at which they travel.

“It will help the core employers to benefit from the services of these corps members maximally because they will now remain in their places of primary assignment.

“We have policies in the scheme that guide absence from places of primary assignment. For example – there are certain number of times a corps member can be absent and such a corps member – in punishment – the service will be extended.

“We are not doing this in isolation it is in line with the
policies of the scheme. It is going to bring transparency and accountability into the way we do things.

“My staff, who have been conniving with corps members in the past will not be able to do that anymore because unless such a corps members cuts the thumb and gives to anybody to thumb print for him.“

The DG said that six members of staff were presently facing possible dismissal from the scheme after being caught engaging and conniving with corps members to leave their places of primary assignment.

He said that the disciplinary measure being taken was in line with the public service rule and the NYSC condition of service.

He said that the biometric technology made provision for corps members who may genuinely fall sick or have reasons to be away from their areas of assignments during the course of the service year.

Olawumi said that the biometrics would first be deployed for use in Lagos and Abuja adding that it will be fully adopted by other states of the federation next year.

“This exercise will start this September with corps members of batch C 2014 who will be passing out soon and batch A 2015 and it is going to start this September in Lagos state and the entire FCT.

“Batch B 2015, those who will be in Lagos and FCT this
biometrics will be applied for them throughout their service year. By next year we will try to extend it to all the other states in the federation.

“The demonstration, which we are witnessing today, is part of the second phase of the computerisation process of the operations of the NYSC scheme for the purpose of enhancing our overall performance.

“Let me also allay the fears of some corps members we are going to make it very user friendly.

“We are going to do it in such a way that it will not impose additional or inconvenience on you than what you face presently.“

He said that the analogue system which was previously in use promoted unwarranted journey to schools to collect call- up letters which led to accidents or loss of letters and in some cases some persons missed the service year.

The DG urged corps members and staff of the scheme in states and local governments to embrace the process with diligence in order to make it a success.

He said that the service would not tolerate acts geared
towards sabotaging the success of the program noting that the scheme was working assiduously to computerize all activities of the scheme in line with global best practices.

According to Olawumi, by this, the NYSC like other agencies of government will be positioned to render seamless, efficient, and effective service to Nigerians.

The D-G warned corps members wishing to stage any form of protest either on non-payment of allowance or other matters to desist from such endeavor as there was no provision for such in paramilitary agencies.

He said that corps members caught would be severely
sanctioned and disciplined calling on states and local
governments owing allowances to corps members to ensure immediate payment.

Olawumi said that the biometric technology was already in use by the scheme as ID cards of corps members had chips which were used to identify and locate them especially in cases of emergency.

“The package also includes a change in the certificate they will receive at the end of their service year. The certificate of national service will now carry the passport photograph of the corps member to forestall theft.

“Employers of ex corps members can now login the NYSC website and verify the certificate and authenticity of other information presented them” he added.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Kuje Area Council, Hon. Ishaku Saban, lauded the hard work and diligence corps members serving in the council showed in the discharge of their duties.

He assured the scheme of improvement in infrastructural development in order to improve the condition of the people and corps members living within the area.

Dr. Micheal Ikhide, the Director corps welfare of the scheme said that the task of effectively monitoring corp members nationwide had remained a challenge to management.

Ikhide said the launch of the biometrics would check cases of absenteeism, submission of monthly clearance letters by proxy and other forms of indiscipline among corps members.

NOUN graduates to join NYSC, Law School programme soon – Director

Ilorin – Graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) would soon be allowed to participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC) and the Nigerian Law School Programme.

The Director, Ilorin Study Centre of NOUN, Mr Michael
Abikoye, made this known on Thursday in an interview in Ilorin.

Abikoye, who was NOUN first Acting Registrar, attributed exclusion of NOUN graduates from the scheme and law school to public misunderstanding of the difference between Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and part time studies.

He expressed optimism that with the ongoing talk between the management of the Open University and the relevant stakeholders, NOUN students would be absorbed into the scheme.

“The denial of our graduates in participating in the NYSC scheme is based essentially on the general misunderstanding of difference in concept between open and distance learning system, which Nigerians have equated with part time studies.

“But open and distance learning is not exactly the same thing as part time study.

“Open and Distance Learning is a standard form of education and it is the vogue in many advanced countries today.

“Incidentally, most of NOUN programmes are accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) that accredits programmes of conventional Nigerian Universities.

“Our course materials are prepared by seasoned academics in the conventional university system and they go through rigorous and thorough process of editing and printing before they are released to the students.

“It may not surprise you to know that even in the
conventional universities; our course materials are being used by some lecturers to produce their own handouts for students.

“That shows you the quality of our materials and by
extension, the quality of our products,” Abikoye added.

Abikoye said that NOUN has standard and functioning
laboratory at its headquarters and in some selected study centres across the country.

He said what NOUN has done in some centres where it has no laboratory of its own was to go into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the neighbouring conventional universities.

“At the Ilorin Study Centre here for instance, we have gone into collaboration with the University of Ilorin, so that NOUN students can avail themselves with laboratory facilities there.

“This was particularly meant for the students of our School of Health Science and ICT,” he said.

Abikoye disclosed that NOUN has set up two skills
acquisition vocational centres at graduate, post graduate diploma and certificate levels to fill the gap left behind by conventional universities.

NYSC secures N200m bank facility for disbursement to corps members as loans

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Friday said it had secured over N200 million bank facility for disbursement to corps members as loans to enbale them start their businesses.

Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, the Director-General of the corps, said this when the Commander, Guards Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Musa Yusuf, paid a familiarisation visit to the NYSC Headquarters in Abuja.

“That has been a challenge; we train these corps members in the camp after the camp we have partners all over the country where corps members also receive training throughout the service year.

“Now, the issue is that when they get this training they don’t have start-up capital but we have been doing a lot to see there is opportunity for them to get startup capital. We have the NYSC foundation as we speak, the NYSC foundation has just approved loan worth N10 million for corps members.

“ Corps members based on the business plan they submit could get as much as N250, 000 and N400, 000. We have also signed an MoU with Bank of Industry though it is yet to take off but we are working on it.

“ A couple of months ago, I also approached Heritage Bank and Heritage Bank is setting aside the sum of N200 million under a package where corps members will get a soft loan and the only collateral they will have to drop will be their discharge certificate.

“ We are also talking with Central Bank Governor to see that a micro credit loan could be arranged specially to address corps members in this category.” He debunked allegations that the corps has yet to provide skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development to corps members, adding that the exercise had been ongoing since 2012.

According to Olawumi, the NYSC has so far trained over 400,000 corps members since the commencement of its skills acquisition programme in over 12 different skills.

He said that the NYSC, under the sponsorship of the World Bank, was currently partnering with an international organisation to train corps members interested in going into the building and property development sector.

Olawumi also called on the Guards Brigade to continue to assist the NYSC in ensuring the safety of corps members serving in the Federal Capital Territory as well as those serving in other states.

The director- general also directed the Director,Skills
Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) of the corps, Mrs Mary Dan-Abia, to commence partnership with the brigade’s skills acquisition centre in Keffi, Nassarawa State.

Earlier, Brig.-Gen. Yusuf assured the NYSC that the brigade had made adequate security arrangements to ensure the safety of corps members serving in FCT. Yusuf said that part of the security arrangements put in place included regular patrolling of the FCT, adding the safety of corps members was one of the priorities of the Guards Brigade.

He also assured the NYSC boss that the brigade would
continue to support and partner with the corps in the area of training of corps members and other related needs. “I am here on behalf of the Guards Brigade, officers and their families to commend you on the collaboration and support we have received from the NYSC so far.

“ I want to promise that this collaboration, support and
understanding will be maintained. “ If there is anything we need to improve on in terms of our relationship or training to new corps members or any other area the Guards Brigade is here to support and assist.”