From Godwin Agia, in Jalingo
Seven months after promising to pay the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in public schools in Taraba State N245,000 each, as a welfare package, Governor Agbu Kefas is yet to commence the payment as promised.
In September, Governor Kefas reportedly announced the award of the money to the corps members.
He made the announcement through a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation, Zainab Usman.
According to the statement, the governor approved the package for all corps members serving in the state.
A package breakdown shows that each corps member would get N50,000 as medical allowance, N75,000 as housing allowance and N120,000 as stipends.
The commissioner said the governor initiated the package due to the high increase in school enrollment due to the government’s free basic education, uniforms and other learning materials programme.
“The surge in new enrollments witnessed in our primary and secondary schools over the past ten working days has necessitated immediate action,” Mrs Usman said.
“As an emergency response to the education situation, His Excellency has approved significant allowances for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Taraba State schools, including an additional ten thousand naira to be added to their monthly allowance,” Mrs Usman continued.
“A one-time payment of fifty thousand naira as a medical allowance. An accommodation allowance of twenty-five thousand naira per term, totalling seventy-five thousand naira for three terms.
“Also, Exceptional Youth Corps members who distinguish themselves while serving in schools will be offered automatic employment opportunities.”
She also said that “Uniforms, shoes, socks, and books will be made available by January to support students in their pursuit of education.
“In the coming year, the State Government will cover the examination fees for all SS3 students, enabling them to write both WAEC and NECO examinations. Exceptional students will be eligible for sponsorship and scholarships.”
She said the governor tasked the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to ensure prompt implementation of the new measures.
However, findings by our reporter revealed that the promise to the corps members has yet to be fulfilled.
Corps members who didn’t want their names in print, disclosed to our reporter that since the governor’s pronouncement of monthly stipends, only few corps members were selected for the symbolic presentation, after which the implementation collapsed.
“As I talk to you now, I still received N6,000, not even N10,000 promised. Likewise N25,000 promised to be paid to us as accommodation fees for each term, we have not received, and also the N50,000 for medical allowances for our year of service,” they said.
Mrs Usman did not pick up calls or respond to text messages asking her why the payment had yet to be made to the corps members.
A media aide of the governor contacted for comment rather referred our reporter to the NYSC director in the state.
Our reporter’s message to the media aide reads:
“Good morning Hon. I want to find out if the Governor is paying youth corps members monthly stipends of N10 and N50, 000 medical allowance as well as N25, 000 for accommodation fees for each term as promised? Thank you.”
The aide replied thus: “ Why not ask the NYSC director,” even though the NYSC director did not make the commitment to the Youth Corps members.
These claims of non fulfillment of promises in the NYSC allowances are coming just as Governor Kefas had on Tuesday similarly pledged his administration’s commitment to adhere to any amount agreed by the Federal Government and labour unions as national minimum wage.
Dr Kefas disclosed this in Jalingo while speaking in an interview with newsmen shortly after he had inspected some projects in Jalingo, the state capital.
“Federal Government and Labour unions are still negotiating on the new national minimum wage but the good news for civil servants in Taraba State is that my administration will pay any amount arrived at by the Federal Government as minimum wage”, he said.
