The National Youth Service Corps has extended the service year of 16 corps members in Sokoto State following various acts of misconduct during their one-year national service.

The State Coordinator of the NYSC, Alhaji Usman Yaro, disclosed this on Friday during the passing-out ceremony of the 2024 Batch C, Stream 2 corps members held in Sokoto. He explained that the affected individuals were sanctioned for offences including abscondment, chronic absenteeism, and other violations of the scheme’s regulations.

Yaro stressed that discipline remains a fundamental value of the NYSC, noting that sanctions are necessary to preserve the integrity of the programme and ensure compliance with established rules. 

According to him, the scheme maintains a zero-tolerance policy for indiscipline, adding that no corps member is exempt from punishment when found wanting.

“In this regard, no fewer than 16 corps members will have their service year extended due to various offences committed while undergoing their service year,” he said.

Despite the sanctions, the coordinator also highlighted positive achievements recorded during the service year. He announced that two corps members received the prestigious Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar Award for their outstanding contributions to improving the living conditions of their host communities.

Yaro commended Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, for his continued support for the scheme, particularly in ensuring the regular payment of state allowances to corps members. He also praised the Sultan of Sokoto for his consistent encouragement and support for youth development through the NYSC.

He explained that many corps members were intentionally posted to rural communities in line with the scheme’s mandate to promote grassroots development. According to him, medical corps members were largely deployed to underserved areas to help address manpower shortages in the health sector, with their medical outreach programmes benefiting thousands of residents across the state.

In addition, Yaro revealed that a significant number of corps members were posted to schools to support the education sector, while others received entrepreneurship training and support through partnerships with the Bank of Industry and other institutions.

He urged the outgoing corps members to remain good ambassadors of the NYSC and to make productive use of the skills acquired through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme as they transition into the next phase of their lives.