The Federal Government is considering improving the welfare of corps members, including their raising the allowances.

Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, while speaking to newsmen after the inauguration of the NYSC@50 anniversary committee.

He said that the management of the NYSC had sent a proposal to improve on the uniform of the corps members and to increase their allowances.

Date said, “That is already with the President and if that gets the approval, even Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training would go beyond three weeks and will be through the entire youth service.

“So, those are areas that are covered and we believe that this committee will also make recommendations on reforms and improvement not just for the welfare, but also for the system of the NYSC that keeps that engine running.”

The minister said that the NYSC which was established on May 22, 1973, had made huge impact on the nation’s education and health sectors.

He added that the Federal Government recognises the roles of Nigerian youths, especially members of the NYSC in the nation’s social, economic and political development, hence the desire to celebrate the 50 years existence of the scheme.

“It is gratifying to note that the SAED programme of the scheme is stirring the interest of corps members for self-employment and wealth creation.

“The scheme must be celebrated for its remarkable achievements in the promotion of national unity and integration, development of education, healthcare delivery, as well as social and infrastructural development, through its primary assignment and community development services”.

“From a mere 2,300 youth corps members, we have grown to between 350,000 and 400,000 youth corps members annually, in the last 50 years.

“Overall, the scheme has been able to pass close to eight million corps members in our country and I think that is a measure of success.”

While inaugurating the 22-member inter-ministerial committee, he charged them to identify and articulate cogent landmarks achieved by the scheme in the last 50 years with a view to showcasing it to Nigerians.

The committee is also to propose programmes and activities to undertake to mark the 50th anniversary of the scheme and to carefully examine the operations of the scheme and recommend areas of improvement to sustain its relevance.

“It is also expected to call for entries from corps members for logo and mascot to commemorate the anniversary,” the minister said.

Dare said the committee should also advise management on necessary steps to take in achieving the establishment of NYSC schools and additional NYSC garment factory, and the full and immediate take-off of all newly-established NYSC ventures and SAED centres.

While charging members of the committee to work assiduously on its terms of reference, he assured them of government’s support.

The NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, said that the positive roles of successive batches of corps members in the credible conduct of elections in the country was worthy of commendation.

He also commended their participation in other programmes such as population census, immunisation exercise, HIV/AIDS prevention and care and fight against corona virus among others.

The chairman of the inaugurated committee, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi, assured that the committee would deliver on the task given it and also meet up to the desired expectation.

The University of Lagos(UNILAG) has changed its resumption date following the postponement of the governorship/state assembly elections.

VIce Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof Folashade Ohunsola, announced that the new resumption date would be March 21, after the governorship poll holding on March 18.
The university was initially expected to resume on March 14 after the institution closed on February 23 for presidential and National Assembly elections.
But after the postponement of the governorship poll from March 11 to March 18 by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), the university said the change in the resumption date became inevitable.

• She slumped in public view – Chrisland School

Dr Michael Adediran, father of Whitney, a 12-year-old student of Chrisland International High School, Opebi, Lagos, has demanded a probe into the death of his daughter during the school’s sporting competition last Thursday.

Adediran, in a message shared on social media, said the call became necessary because of the circumstances surrounding the death of the girl.

He said he gave the school a healthy child and was surprised that the girl was returned dead.

He said, “Good day Nigerians. This is a call to all well-meaning Nigerians to come to my aid. All bloggers, all media and all government agencies; Ministry of Justice, DSS and every intelligence agency, all human rights activists, this is a call to all of you. If you are reading this information kindly come to my aid.

“My name is Dr Micheal Adeyemi Adeniran, I am a father of 12-year-old Whitney Adeniran who died at Chrisland International High School, Opebi, Lagos inter house sport at Agege Stadium.

“It happened that my daughter attended Chrisland High School,  and it was their inter-house sport event on Thursday, February 9th 2023 and she dressed up from home, healthy with no health conditions or sickness at all, the school bus came to pick her up to the venue of the event at Agege Stadium.

“To the biggest shock of my life by 1pm in the afternoon I got a call from my wife that she was informed that our daughter slumped at the inter-house sport and she was rushed to the clinic. My wife was at the venue even before she started.

“She was never informed or called until they have conveyed our child out of the venue before they informed her. On arrival of my wife at the health centre where they took my daughter, my daughter was lying dead with her lips black and her tongue black.

“My wife called me urgently, I left my office to the place and found my daughter lying dead on the ground. I asked question about what happened to my daughter and the school authority could not get me any information as to what happened to my child in their care.

“I gave Chrisland School a healthy vibrant young girl what Chrisland returned to me is a dead child. My entire family is in deep sorrow but the school authority claimed they know nothing about my daughter’s death and all they know is that my daughter slumped and died.

“For the general information of the public Chrisland School held such a magnificent event without a simple fully equipped ambulance, no paramedics, medical personnel or no safety corps, no paramedic except a school quack nurse, who later confessed to me that the child died even at stadium but she cannot pronounce her dead because she is not a doctor.

“My question is what happened to my daughter at Agege Stadium. As a father I demand answer from Chrisland International High School. I am in deep pain and sorrow right now. If you are a father you will understand my pain. My daughter is highly loved by us. We cherished her existence and we can never allow any institution to gloss over the death of our daughter.

“I am calling on the Pathology Department of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, to please be honest with their result. Lagos State government, Nigerian Government, please intervene.”

Meanwhile, the management of Chrisland School has exonerated the school of any culpability in the matter.

While consoling with parents of the student, the school noted that the said student had last month complained of being sick, was taken home by the father, before the recent event that saw her fainted and slumped in the presence of people at the event.

It stated, “The management and staff of Chrisland Schools limited are heartbroken and distressed over the death of our precious student, Whitney Adeniran, whose painful exit occurred on Thursday February 9, 2023.

“Whitney was one of our day students  who opted not to participate in the inter-house sports march past for reasons we were not very sure about. However, on discretion, we respected her decision to err on the side of caution because on the 20th of January, it is in our records that she complained about a not too buoyant health and we immediately contacted her parents. Her father, Mr. Michael Adeniran, came to the school to take her home. We emphasized to her parents to take a critical look at her.

“It is instructive to state that Whitney slumped in public view and not under any hidden circumstances whatsoever. Our immediate response was to take advantage of proximity by identifying the nearest medical facility to take her to, where the doctor on duty administered oxygen and every aid possible on her.

“Even as her family made funeral plans for an immediate burial, we differed politely and reiterated the need to establish a scientific verification of the underlying cause of death as required in circumstances like this. We immediately notified regulatory stakeholders and agencies to allow for a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the developments.

“In spite of the compelling imperatives to fill any information gaps in public space, we stopped short of making any media sensation out of this because the deceased in question was a minor and is deserving of our unqualified respect. We also prioritized according respect to the privacy of the family and were with them consistently to mourn together.

“As parents, we feel the deep pain of this loss and our thoughts are with the family and friends of this wonderful girl. As we continue to uphold the sobriety of this moment, we resist any urge to join issues or trend her treasured memory on media traffic.

“As we eagerly await the outcome of an independent post mortem processes, we remain unwaveringly committed to supporting the family at this critical moment and pray fervently for the fortitude to bear this painful loss.”