The Federal government is set to increase the allowances of corps members according to the outgoing Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi.
Olawumi, who made the disclosure in Abuja while handing over to the new director-general of the scheme, Brig.-Gen. Sule Kazaure, said the management of the scheme had drawn the attention of the Federal Government to the need to increase the allowances.
He stated that there was a positive signal that the federal government would grant the request.
“We have brought to federal government’s attention the urgent need to increase some of the allowances due to corps members and recent response suggests a strong ray of light at the end of the tunnel.
“The major challenge I had as director-general of the scheme is the increasing corps population which was accompanied with dwindling financial resources.
“It is rather unfortunate that we could not execute some major programmes and activities due to paucity of funds.
“You may not be aware that series of letters that have been written and necessary follow up to the appropriate authorities on the need for proper funding of the scheme.
“This is especially important now that the current corps population has risen to 260,000 per year,” Olawumi said.
It would be recalled that Brig.-Gen. J. Olawumi was appointed the 16th DG of NYSC on January 6th, 2014.
