NANS call for NYSC probe

says corps members are yet to be paid the agreed N77,000 allowance

The National Association of Nigerian Students over the weekend called on the Federal Government to probe the National Youth Service Corps.

According to media sources, this call to probe is in line with the non-payment of the newly approved N77,000 monthly allowance for corps members.

The Association expressed disappointment that months after the Federal Government approved the increase from N33,000 to N77,000—effective July 2024—the NYSC has yet to implement the payment.

The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, explained that the non-release of funds is what has hindered the implementation of the new allowance.

NANS in a statement by its National Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs, Felicia Akinbodunse, on Sunday, justified the call for the probe of the NYSC for failure to commence payment of the new corps monthly allowance.

She wondered what delayed the payment after the official announcement by the NYSC DG, that corps members would start receiving the N77,000 in February 2025.

According to her, findings by her office revealed that corps members received only N33,000 for their February allowance last Friday, against N70,000 promised by the NYSC DG.

Akinbodunse noted that the FG and many state governments have since begun to pay their workers the new minimum wage of N70,000, adding that the NYSC has no justification to withhold the payment of the approved allowance to corps members.

She pointed out that it would amount to gross injustice on the part of corps members to still be receiving old allowance months after approval and implementation by the Federal Government.

While calling on the NYSC to give reasons behind the failure to implement the payment of the N77,000 corps monthly allowance, she insisted that the FG should investigate the matter to determine the cause of the delay.

She added that the failure to pay the new allowance to corps members could dampen their morale, especially in the face of the current economic challenges in the country.

Akinbodunse, however, said that the leadership of the student body would equally be in continued talks with the NYSC to find out why corps members are yet to benefit from the new minimum wage of N77,000.

She noted that even staff of the NYSC are receiving the increase in pay from the Federal Government.

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