The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Federal Government to investigate the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over the delayed payment of the newly approved N77,000 monthly allowance for corps members.
NANS expressed disappointment that, despite the government’s approval of the increased allowance from N33,000 to N77,000, which was set to take effect from July 2024, the NYSC has yet to implement the payment.
Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, the Director-General of the NYSC, stated that the delay was due to the non-release of necessary funds.
In a statement released by Felicia Akinbodunse, NANS National Vice President for Inter-Campus Affairs, the student body justified its call for an investigation, noting that the Director-General had promised that corps members would start receiving the N77,000 allowance by February 2025. However, Akinbodunse revealed that only N33,000 was paid to corps members for their February allowance, far below the promised N70,000.
Akinbodunse also pointed out that other government workers, including those in many state governments, are already receiving the new minimum wage of N70,000, making it unjustifiable for the NYSC to withhold the N77,000 allowance for corps members.
She urged the NYSC to provide an explanation for the delay and reiterated that the Federal Government should investigate the situation to determine the cause. Akinbodunse further warned that failure to implement the new allowance could harm the morale of corps members, especially considering the country’s current economic climate.
Moreover, NANS indicated plans to engage directly with the NYSC to understand why the promised allowance has not been implemented, especially since NYSC staff have already benefited from the wage increase.
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