The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has attributed the rejection of some Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) from the ongoing 2024 Batch “B” Stream 2 Orientation Course to their late arrival at the designated camps. On Monday, SaharaReporters revealed that thousands of PCMs were stranded across various orientation camps in Nigeria after being turned away and unable to register for the one-year compulsory service.
These affected graduates were initially mobilized for the 2024 Batch B stream but were later shifted to Batch C.
One of the stranded graduates, who spoke to SaharaReporters, reported that about 40 people were affected at the Lagos orientation camp. She said, “Please, I was trying to contact you for a human rights-related issue. It concerns NYSC. Many intending corps members are stranded in their states of posting with no money to return home and no assistance from NYSC. We received our call-up letters as late as Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and some even on Sunday.”
She continued, “I got my call-up letter on Thursday, arrived at camp on Saturday, only to be sent back home after spending a lot on transportation. We were over 40 in the Lagos camp, and we are just waiting around to see if there’s a solution.”
In response, the NYSC issued a press statement on Tuesday morning through Caroline Embu, the Acting Director of Information and Public Relations. The statement clarified that the affected graduates arrived late to their camps.
The NYSC statement read, “The attention of the NYSC management has been drawn to reports of agitations by some Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) who arrived late to their respective Orientation Camps for the ongoing 2024 Batch ‘B’ Stream 2 Orientation Course and were consequently not registered. The Scheme’s policy on mobilization and orientation programs is clearly outlined in the enabling Act and the call-up letters issued to the PCMs.”
The statement emphasized that the first paragraph of the call-up letter for this batch of Corps members clearly stated that registration would close by midnight on Thursday, August 29, 2024, with the swearing-in ceremony for those who successfully completed the registration process scheduled to take place simultaneously nationwide on Friday, August 30, 2024.
The NYSC, which prides itself on being an organization with a human face, extended the deadline for registration to midnight on Friday, August 30, 2024, after receiving reports of late arrivals in some states.
“Surprisingly, even after this grace period, videos of complaints from more Prospective Corps Members surfaced on social media, demanding further extensions. In response, the Director-General visited some camps to assess the situation, sympathizing with the affected individuals but stressing the importance of adhering to the NYSC Bye-laws, including the stipulated dates for camp resumption,” the statement continued.
However, the Director-General directed that the affected Prospective Corps Members be provided with accommodation and meals before leaving the camps. He also assured that those who made efforts but were unable to meet the registration deadline for this batch would be given some consideration during the 2024 Batch “C” mobilization.
“While the management sympathizes with the affected Prospective Corps Members, Nigerians should remember that the NYSC operates based on the provisions of the enabling Act and Bye-laws,” the statement concluded.
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