Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has called on NYSC members to embrace the new agriculture initiative of the scheme as a way of boosting food production in the country.
Amosun made the call at the close of the NYSC 2017 Batch A, Stream I, Orientation Course on Monday at the corps’ Permanent Orientation Camp in Sagamu.
It will be recalled that the NYSC Director-General, Brig-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, had on May 29 said that the scheme would begin mobilising corps members to farms under its agricultural development programme.
The governor, who was represented by Mr Afolabi Afuape, the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, said the scheme would also aid the agro-allied production value-chain needed to revive the economy.
Amosun, who lauded the NYSC management for the idea, further said it would stem the tide of rejection of some corps members by employers and expand service integration.
He called on employers to help contribute to national development by absorbing corps members and engaging them in useful activities in line with the development programmes of the state.
“”Any nation that aspires to survive should at least grow what it consumes.
“”As an administration, we have seen the potentials of agriculture toward improving our economy if properly harnessed.
“”This is why for us, at the inception of our administration, we came up with a “5-Cardinal Programme” in which increased agricultural production that will lead to industrialisation is one of our focal points,” Amosun said.
The governor urged the youths to continue to maintain the peace and unity of the nation in the spirit of the June 12 commemoration and in line with the founding objectives of the NYSC scheme.
“”The success and development we crave as a nation can only be achieved in unity. To remain one and continue to live in peace with one another is sacrosanct,” Amosun said.
The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mrs Gladys Mbachi , commended the corps members for the discipline displayed during the course of the orientation exercise.
Mbachi also urged them to maintain the standards at their places of primary assignments.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 2,471 corps members, who registered for the orientation exercise, were posted to their places of primary assignments.
They were made up of 1,048 males and 1,423 females.
