Naij.com Readers Complain of Not Being Paid Allowances as NYSC Members

Legit.ng has received a letter of complaint from a former NYSC member who decried non-payment of allowances. Upon being asked if they, too, have experienced similar drawbacks, many other Corps members responded positively and described their respecitive ordeals.

While we cannot immediately verify the stories, or confirm whether these were individual cases or whole batches had been affected, we have contacted the NYSC authorities and are waiting for their response on the matter.

Our reader Yekinni Samson was 2012 batch B NYSC member and finished his service in Ondo State in July 2013. After waiting for a full year, he says, he is yet to be paid his allowance. Also affected, he adds, were 2011 batch C, 2012 batch A, 2012 batch B and 2012 batch C – former corpers are still looking for jobs and need their arrears to be paid.

Several other persons who served in Ondo State, namely Messrs. Najeeb Adam Yola and Orshi Abodaa M, both from 2011 batch C, Adebayo Adeoluwatosyne from 2012 batch A in Ode-Aye, have also confirmed they suffer from non-payment of allowances and prompted the authorities to react.

Aggrieved former NYSC members who served in other states across Nigeria have as well expressed their concerns over the unfortunate development.

Juliet Ume who served in Rivers State said it is "really unfair" that batches 12A, 12B, 12C, 13A, 13B are yet to receive their allowances, with Sunday Vitus adding he is yet to receive any payment since he finished serving in February 2013.

Some NYSC members who completed their service in Imo State are also aggrieved by the non-payment of their allowances. Ekuma Henry says batch A, batch B 2013 were affected, while, according to Julius Oshogwemoh from 2012 batch B, both past and present Corps members, from 2011 to date, are owed by the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gbemisola Akande-Onyewuchi who served in Kaura Namoda local government area of Zamfara State back in 2004 (batch B) says he has lost any hope of receiving his money. Shuaibu Deborah from 2011 batch B adds that they are yet to receive their one-year allowance.

Same story has repeated for some NYSC members posted to Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue states.

Onyeka Ogwu who served in Edo State, 2013 batch A, says the Government ows them money for three-month service. A voice from Plateau State, Nwachukwu Tripplech Chigozie says he served back in 2009 with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning at Joseph Gomwalk State Secretariat and is yet to receive payment.

Festus Adesoji Olorunsola says 2013/2014 batch B corp members who served in Ogbunka autonomous community in Orumba South local government area of Anambra State also did not recieve their state allowance for one year. In Bauchi State, both 2013/2014 batches A and B are yet to receive their money even as the members, according to Idoko Michael, "risked their lives amidst insecurity and contrary to the pressure from loved ones to leave the state."

However, not all respondents' messages were negative. Lanatu Rachael Ribason thanked Kaduna State for paying those NYCS members who served in government secondary schools "at least N30,000" at the end of their service year.

Fadeyi Olayinka Opeyemi, who was redeployed to Osun State from Katsina State, says there were no problems with his payment. Ken Ekeng from 2012 batch B in Ekiti State also expressed his gratitude bor being paid on time.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) organisation was established in 1973 by the Nigerian Government. Its main purpose at the time was to involve the country’s youths to reconcile and rebuild Nigeria after the Nigerian Civil War. Today, the objectives have not changed much, as the country's graduates are expected to "bring about unity" and learn to appreciate other ethnic groups by being posted to cities and states far from those of their origin.

Thanks to the programme, bridges, health care centres, classroom blocks, market stalls, culverts etc. have been constructed by the NYSC members all over the country; projects like HIV sensitization, adult literacy campaign, extra-mural classes for students, road safety campaigns etc. were also conducted by them.

Despite seemingly noble goals, the program is constantly criticized by Nigerians who note that the Federal Government often witholds or even refuses to pay the NYSC members their allowances. Moreover, NYCS youths are under constant risk of being killed in the regions they are deployed to due to lack of appropriate security measures.

Source: Legit.ng