Up to 65 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have been ordered to repeat their service year by the corps.

The corps members were asked to repeat the service year in various states for engaging in actions that contravened the bye-laws of the scheme in the country.

The offenses committed by the corps members ranged from absconding from service, and unauthorized journeys, to other miscellaneous offenses that violated the laws of the scheme in Nigeria.

Speaking during the passing out parade in Abia State, the state Coordinator, NYSC, Jingi Denis, said nine of the 870 corps members of 2021 Batch A, Stream II, will repeat the service year for absconding from service.

According to him, the measure was in line with the NYSC rules and regulations.

Denis noted, however, that a corps member would be awarded by the state “in recognition of his outstanding performance during his stay in Abia State,” while five others would receive commendation certificates.

In Enugu State, the state Coordinator, Sam Ujogu, said 12 corps members who absconded from service will be remobilized to start service afresh whenever they resurfaced.

Njoku, who made the statement during the passing out parade on Thursday, also said 38 corps members, who participated in the 2021 Batch A, Stream II, NYSC, had their services extended.

Goju said he regretted that a corps member, Onuegbu Amarachi, with Batch EN/21A/1303, who was serving at Enugu North Local Government Secretariat, died on September 5, 2021.

Report has it that 14 of the 1, 260 corps members deployed to serve in Ondo State will repeat their service year, while the service year for 13 corps members was extended.

Addressing the corps members, Ani, who was represented by the Assistant Director of the corps, Adejoke Fashola, said the sanctions were subject to the approval of Directorate Headquarters, Abuja.

She said, “The scheme wields a big stick against recalcitrant members of the service corps who fall short of expected behavior and performance. Out of 1,260 due to passing out of service today, 13 corps members would have their service extended for various misdemeanors.

“14 corps members who absconded from service would have to repeat the service subject to the approval of Directorate Headquarters, Abuja.”

Also, the state coordinator in Ebonyi State, Bama Dawuda, on Thursday, stated that 18 corps members will repeat their service year in the state.

Dawuda disclosed while addressing the corps members during their passing-out parade, adding that their offenses ranged from abscondment from service to unauthorized journeys, and other miscellaneous offenses.

Nigerian Air Force (NAF) officers are feared to have been killed in a plane crash that occurred on Tuesday in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria.

Although the details of the incident are still sketchy, it is understood that the incident involved a training aircraft that had two pilots on board.


Details later…

To stem the steady fall of the naira against the dollar, the Federal Government has been advised to as a matter of urgency put an end to the festering crude oil theft, boost oil production, and put in place necessary measures to boost local production and exportation of other goods.

Some economists told our correspondent in an interview on Saturday that these were needed to boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings and bridge the supply deficit.

The Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture however warned that if nothing was done urgently, the naira might fall to about N700 to a dollar.

Manufacturers, business owners, and many Nigerians have expressed deep worries over the value of the naira, which exchanged for as high as N590 in the parallel market a few days ago. While the official rate stood at N416.23, findings from different sources on Saturday evening showed that the naira had fallen to an unprecedented N600 to a dollar.

Coupled with the 15.7 percent inflation rate, the lingering forex crisis has led to a considerable increase in the prices of goods in the country.

The MD/CEO, Cowry Asset Management, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, said naira had continued to suffer a free fall because of weak foreign exchange earnings, due partly to the low crude oil production, crude oil theft, and low export of goods.

He said, “It’s all about how much you spend on importation compared to how much you earn from exportation. We are not producing enough so we don’t have enough resources to support the naira.

“The immediate solution is to stop crude oil theft so we can make more revenue, and the long term solution would be to diversify our economy so that we can produce more exportable commodities or produce more of what we consume to limit our importation.”

He said the Central Bank of Nigeria’s interventions, like the closure of Abokifx and the ban on the sale of forex to Bureau De Change, could not bring down the price because the current price was a product of demand and supply.

Also, the President, National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Ide Udeagbala, said critical infrastructure like power should be fixed to boost local production of goods, both for local consumption and export.

He said, “The exchange rate could get to between N600 and N700 to a dollar with the way it’s going, as long as we are not exporting and we import almost everything. However, how do we talk about production when there is no electricity? The national grid collapsed twice two weeks ago and people had to buy diesel at N700.

“So, the solution is that we must produce enough for export to earn forex. Crude oil theft is also an issue. If we are expected to produce two million barrels per day and today we are at 1.3 million BPD, is it difficult to know why we are here?

Also, the Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said apart from addressing crude oil theft and boosting production, the government should consider a flexible exchange rate policy regime, different from devaluation.

He stated, “This model would enhance liquidity in the foreign exchange market, reduce uncertainty in the forex market and enhance investors’ confidence. Also, it is a more transparent mechanism for forex allocation, it minimizes discretion in the allocation of forex and reduces opportunities for round-tripping and other sharp practices.”