Don’t be promoters of fake news, says NYSC DG

LAGOS, Nigeria – The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has warned corps members to desist from promoting or sharing through social media unsubstantiated information that is not from credible and responsible sources.

Brigadier General Ibrahim issued the warning this morning in a virtual meeting he held nationwide with the 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) prospective corps members and which was monitored at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State.

The one star General who is an Associate Professor disclosed that Nigeria air space is awashed with several fake news which has become cankerous and has been threatening the sacrifice every sincere and honest citizens of the country are zealously making to ensure that we have a sane society.

“My dear children in the national service, it is sad and worrisome that some of the graduate youths of this country have turned themselves to promoters of cock and bull stories which should not be found in our society and I want to appeal to you not to be part of the bandwagon that peddles rumour or unsubstantiated information through the airwaves”.

“NYSC is a highly disciplined agency of government that is saddled with the responsibility of moulding the graduate youths mobilised for national service to be more focused and actively participate in nation building through series of programmes and activities starting with the orientation course through to their involvement in various community activities”.

“The Federal Government through the National Youth Service Corps has invested heavily on you and the best way to reciprocate the continued commitment of government to youth empowerment and development is for you all to key into orientation course contents and remain the responsible citizens of this great country”.

The NYSC boss charged the prospective corps members to rub minds together with their colleagues with which they share hostels and platoons and come up with workable solution on how to take Nigeria out of her present challenges.

“No nation can grow or progress and have accelerated development without engaging the youths who are the most intelligent, mobile and potent set of people any organised setting can boast of. Your mobilisation should be seen as a privilege to contribute to nation building”.

“NYSC management has put in place a very solid structure to make the orientation course exciting, fulfilling and rewarding. See things from a positive perspective and you will be proud that you are participating in a life-changing Scheme”.

General Ibrahim encouraged the prospective corps members to embrace the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme which was established nine and half years ago to address the unemployment challenge that is threatening the survival of the country.

“The paid employment is dwindling and the best way to tackle the unemployment is to team up with the NYSC and focus on how to empower yourself during the service year and become financially independent after the service year. The world is at your feet to become job creators and employers of labour rather than looking forward to being a job seekers at the end of your service year”.

The Director General charged the prospective corps members not to engage in any untoward activities during and after the service year as this may be their greatest undoing

“Many dreams have been shattered and lives cut short just because our youths who are supposed to use their hands and brain in a legitimate productive manners have taken into sharp practices which has made them to soil the good names of their families” he said.

The first corps member in the federation delved more on security and charged them to take their personal security as priority.

“It is no longer news that the Federal Government is trying all within her means to curtail the security breaches in all the parts of the country but you can do well by taking your personal security seriously”.

The NYSC helmsman thanked the managers of the Scheme at the state level for painstakingly guiding the patriotic Nigerians and wished members of the service corps a hitch-free   orientation course and successful service year.