NYSC: Corps Members Queried for Leaving Place of Primary Assignment, Not Christmas Carol

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has clarified that it sanctioned some corps members in Oyo State for leaving their place of primary assignment and posting without authorisation, contrary to a media report that they were sanctioned for not attending the December Christmas carol.
Reacting via a press release through its acting Director, Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the NYSC enjoined Nigerians to disregard the said media report titled, “NYSC Issues Query to Over 200 Corps Members for Allegedly Skipping Christmas Carol in Oyo.”
The statement read: “The Management of National Youth Service Corps wishes to draw the attention of the general public to a misleading publication by an online medium on the above subject matter.
“The queries issued to them by the local government inspector, serves as a corrective mechanism in the Scheme and has nothing to do with the alleged Christmas Carol.
“As a matter of fact, the National Youth Service Corps as a responsible organisation operates within the confines of the Bye-laws which not only guides the activities of all corps members but also stipulates penalties for every offence.
“It is pertinent to note that, every corps member is at liberty to practice any religion of his/her choice, as allowed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without coercion.
“The weekly Community Development Service and monthly General Community Development Service are part of the major activities that all corps members must partake in, throughout their service year, without which they are not qualified to collect the Certificate of National Service.”
The Scheme added that “for the purpose of clarity, the affected Corps members in Atiba did not participate in their scheduled Community Development Service activities and were also absent during the December 2024 headcount that was conducted to ascertain the number of corps members on ground in Atiba.”
It stressed that they were also not in their respective places of primary assignment within the local government during the period in question.
“Disturbingly, they all failed to obtain the written permission of the NYSC Oyo State Coordinator to travel outside the state between December 16, 2024 and January 6, 2025,” the statement explained.
The NYSC enjoined Nigerians to disregard the said publication, adding: “members of the public are by this release enjoined to disregard the online publication with its erroneous intent to cause unnecessary religious apprehension among the public.”