Why martial arts was brought into NYSC course content – DG

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, has clarified why martial arts was brought into the corps members’ orientation camp course content.

Ibrahim announced this in his welcome message to the intending NYSC members who deployed to camp on Wednesday (today) across the nation.

The Director-General of NYSC, Brig-Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim

The Director General stated that, in the last couple of years, the NYSC scheme had recorded a drastic change in the orientation course content, adding that it aligned with the predominant security and economic realities of the country.

Ibrahim said, “This shift witnessed the introduction of martial arts training into the course content so as to equip corps members with basic self-defense skills.”

Advising corps members to take the martial arts training seriously, he said, “It will be wise to take this training seriously in order to enhance your personal security.”

Ibrahim further guaranteed that the NYSC is “always in constant touch with the various security agencies” to make sure that that the security of the corps members is not endangered.

The Director General said, “I feel highly gratified to address you as you commence another phase in your lives as members of the National Youth Service Corps, an elite Scheme that parades a pool of enlightened and sophisticated class of Nigerian youths, pulled together from diverse socio-cultural and religious backgrounds, with a united purpose of building a strong, indivisible and egalitarian entity.

“As the name connotes, Orientation programme is designed to equip Corps Members adequately for the task of nation building, the challenges that lie within and ahead of the Service Year.

“Primarily, the course contents involve skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme, training in physical fitness; series of lectures, social activities, games and sports – all geared towards imbuing you with the spirit of discipline and patriotism, and getting you prepared for the leadership roles that you will assume in the future in the polity.

“In the three weeks that you will be encamped, there will be observance of strict regimentation in all your activities. Therefore, you will not have absolute freedom that will be curtailed. You are expected to conform to the rules and regulations guiding the Orientation camp.

“Dear patriotic Corps Members, NYSC has recorded a paradigm shift in the Orientation course content, aligning it with the prevailing security and economic realities.

“The precarious state of national security and shrinkage of white collar jobs made this phenomenal change germane and compelling.

“It will be wise to take this training seriously in order to enhance your personal security. That notwithstanding, the Scheme is always in constant touch with the various security agencies to ensure that your security is not compromised.”

He stated that the consequence to the above is the issue of financial security. As indicated by him, it was worrisome to note that a lot of ex-Corps Members who got discharged from service as far as ten years back were yet to be profitably employed.

Ibrahim said, “This sorry state of affairs has brought about despondency and dejection on the part of some serving Corps Members.

“It equally fans the embers of criminality and depravity such as robbery, advance fee fraud, prostitution, drug peddling and abuse to mention but a few.

“My dear virile youths, your sojourn in the ship of nation building is a life-time opportunity, I implore you to utilize it maximally. Some of your predecessors who heeded this counsel are today business owners, doing very well in their various businesses and contributing positively to the growth of Nigerian economy.”