Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has charged newly mobilized National Youth Service Corps members to remain impartial and professional in any electoral responsibilities they might be assigned during their service year, warning them against allowing themselves to be deployed as instruments of malpractice, violence, or misinformation in a period when the country was approaching another election cycle.
Abiodun, represented at the NYSC Batch B Stream I orientation opening at Gateway Stadium in Sagamu by the Commissioner for Sports Development, Wasiu Isiaka, described the inauguration of the service year as the beginning of a transformative journey that would challenge the corps members to grow beyond familiar boundaries, broaden their understanding of Nigeria’s diversity, and prepare themselves for greater responsibilities in their professional and civic lives.
He urged participants to make use of the leadership, citizenship, entrepreneurship, teamwork, and security awareness components built into the orientation program, and to approach their community development service postings with the seriousness of people who understood that their skills and education gave them a meaningful role in the country’s development rather than simply a year to complete.
On personal security, Abiodun warned corps members against behaviors that could make them vulnerable to criminal elements, including lending their phones to strangers, allowing unknown persons access to their bank accounts, boarding vehicles from unauthorized locations, and accepting substantial gifts from unfamiliar sources. He said educated young Nigerians were an important component of the collective security architecture and urged them to report suspicious activities promptly to camp authorities and security agencies.
