From Bashir Rabe Mani in Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government has extended a major welfare package to corps members currently in camp in the state, including a cash gift of N30,000 to each corps member, doubling of their monthly state allowance from N10,000 to N20,000, and donation of a brand new Hilux vehicle to the NYSC Secretariat.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sport Development and Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Alhaji Sid Al-Mustapha disclosed this in an interview in Sokoto.
Al-Mustapha said youth development is one of the key components of the 9-Point Smart Agenda of Governor Ahmed Aliyu.
According to him, Gov. Aliyu was personally present last Friday at the swearing-in ceremony of the new batch of corps members deployed to Sokoto State.
He said during the ceremony, the Governor announced a cash gift of N30,000 to each corps member in camp.
“The Governor gave every corps member a gift of N30,000. They were numbering 1,527, which is Batch C, Stream 2, currently in camp,” Al-Mustapha said.
He put the total amount disbursed at N45,810,000, adding that all the corps members received the money.
“We have the pictures, we have the video,” he said.
Al-Mustapha also confirmed that Governor Aliyu has increased the monthly state allowance paid to corps members by 100 percent, from N10,000 to N20,000.
He said the Governor announced the increment at the same ceremony and immediately set up a committee to verify and ascertain the total number of corps members across all batches currently serving in Sokoto State, to determine the exact amount to be paid.
“The committee was set up and by tomorrow, the committee should be ready. The payment will commence by the end of this month,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary further disclosed that during the visit, the Governor also granted the request for an operational vehicle for the NYSC Secretariat.
“His Excellency granted it there and then and gave a brand new Hilux for the Secretariat’s official use,” he said.
Asked if the vehicle has been delivered, Al-Mustapha said: “It has been delivered and it was delivered on that day. Brand new.”
On other welfare support, Al-Mustapha said the state government, as usual, is augmenting the feeding of corps members in camp.
He said the government is providing five cows every day for the feeding of corps members, from the start of the camp until the last day of the orientation exercise.
“The augmentation of feeding has been done by giving them five cows every day to be slaughtered every day until the last day of the camp,” he said.
Commenting on the ongoing rehabilitation of the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Wamakko, Al-Mustapha said the project is progressing steadily and is now 90 to 95 percent completed.
He recalled that some months ago, the State Executive Council approved over N1.0796 billion for the remodeling, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the permanent orientation camp.
Asked if there has been any review of the contract sum, he said: “No, there wasn’t any review. The contractual sum is there the way it is. It is over N1.0796 billion.”
He explained that the scope of work covers general rehabilitation of the corps members’ hostels, road infrastructure, electricity, toilet facilities, and expansion of the lecture theatres.
“It is a very big project. That is the scope of the work,” he said.
On when the project will be delivered, Al-Mustapha expressed optimism that it will be handed over by the end of December.
“We are hopeful that by the end of December, towards the end of December, it will be handed over to us and we will hand it over to NYSC,” he said.
He commended the contractor for doing a very good job, noting that state engineers at the site are monitoring the work, while the state government has been paying the contractor promptly whenever he makes a request.
“The contractor has been doing his best. Our engineers at the site are trying and the state government is also trying, paying him whenever he made a request and he has done a very good job,” he said.
Al-Mustapha also invited journalists to join the ministry within the week for a tour of the facility to see the project first-hand.
Also speaking, the representative of the contracting firm, SBD Enterprises Nig. Ltd., Engr. Kasimu Bello, promised that the company would deliver the project on or before the end of this month.
He also vowed that the firm would sustain the tempo of its current works, which are being executed according to contractual specifications.
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