Lagos NYSC boss appeals for new camp

The Lagos State Coordinator for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Prince Mohammed Momoh, has appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to make good his promise of a new orientation camp.

Speaking at the closing of the 2018 Batch ‘B’ stream II orientation programme at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana Ipaja on Monday, Momoh thanked the governor for allocating a land in Agbowa, Ikorodu, to the scheme but pleaded for the completion of paperwork on the land as well as erection of a befitting structure.

In an interview with reporters, he said the NYSC had a design that could accommodate up to 7,000 corps members on the new land – waiting from when the government would give the go-ahead for work to begin.

Momoh said: “We are networking with government and we have gone ahead to commission a team of very dedicated crop of professionals who have developed and designed a 7,000-capacity orientation camp and this having been submitted to the state government for consideration and adoption, and we are aware that the surveyor general of the state is also trying to perfect the paper for the land. You know one thing is to say this land is proposed for this, and another thing is for the perfection of the paper.  We believe that soon we would get good news.”

Though seeking new facilties, Momoh thanked the government for putting the present camp in good condition for use.

“The present facility is more conducive than it used to be. We thank his Excellency but because of space constraints there is no way you can expand it. I equally wish to put on record that I know the state government is also aware and they are trying their best to see what can be done very soon because Lagos happen to be the only state in the whole Southwest that does not have a permanent orientation camp and this position those not befit a mega city that has the status of Lagos.

In his speech, Ambode, who was represented by the commissioner for special duties and inter-governmental relations, Oluseye Oladejo, corps members to master skills that would qualify them for government loans.

“I therefore admonish you to take your post camp training seriously to master the requisite skills that will qualify you to access loans through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund”. This trust fund is set up to enable youths to start their businesses,” he said.

A total of 2,152 corps members participated in the three-week programme which exposed them to paramilitry drills, martial ars, Man ‘O’ War drills, various lectures, skills acquisiong training and inter-platoon competitions.

Popular musician, David Adeleke is serving with the batch but was not in camp for the closing ceremony.  When asked about his whereabouts, Momoh declined comments.

Davido, as he is called, posted on the internet last Friday that he was cutting short his U.S. tour to return to Nigeria for the NYSC programme.  But he did not return to camp.