The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said it cannot pay the N30,000 minimum wage to corps members yet because it is yet to get such directive from the federal government.
The agency also said it will hand over fake graduates coming for mobilisation to the police for prosecution. The NYSC Director-General, Shuaibu Ibrahim, said these during a media parley on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the NYSC Act stipulates that fake graduates are liable to two years in jail, after prosecution. He said a corps producing institution will be blacklisted if it engages in this act.
“Let me reiterate our warning that any person who presents fake certificate in an attempt to get mobilised for service will be handed over to the security agencies for prosecution. We are working on those fake corps members. They will be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
“If I show you their papers, you will feel very sad. Some people have asked me if NYSC has the power to crosscheck the certification of graduates, I said no, but we have the power to ensure that unqualified Nigerians are not mobilised for service. The NYSC Act says unqualified Nigerians who go for service are liable for jail (term) of two years. So, the NYSC will never condone or abet illegality in any form. We want Nigerians to know that. Since inception, 4,644,804 Nigerians have participated in the scheme.”
Speaking on the minimum wage and N30,000 proposed allowance for corps members, Mr Ibrahim said the process is still ongoing.
”On the minimum wage, I cannot make any pronouncement because it is ongoing. The moment it is transmitted to NYSC, we will make it known to the corps members and the general public,” he said.
Photo Credit: Getty
