Alhaji Ibrahim Saidu, the NYSC Katsina state coordinator, is concerned about inadequate accommodation and lack of acceptance for corps members sent to public schools in the state.
He said the scenario made it difficult for corps members assigned to the state to locate adequate places to stay and carry out their duties.
During his visit to the Katsina State Science and Technical Education Board, the NYSC coordinator expressed his concerns to Professor Kabir Ibrahim Matazu, the board’s Executive Secretary.
He also asked the executive secretary to intervene and persuade the principals of the state’s Science and Technical Schools to provide accommodations and accept corps members posted to their schools.
He said: “Government Schools under the Ministry of Education that had the majority of the corps members deployed to them, do not have accommodation and neither do they pay any stipends in lieu of accommodation and transports to them and they, therefore, find it difficult to stay and serve in the state.’’
The NYSC state coordinator also pledged to send corps members in relevant fields to the Science and Technical Schools and asked the Executive Secretary to write a request letter to the NYSC once the schools were ready.
The Executive Secretary also echoed the NYSC boss’s concern during the visit, saying that most parents now send their children to private schools, even those in government schools in Katsina state.
He said: “If the proper thing has to be done, Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and all other Associations must be involved to raise and maintain the standards of the public Schools back to what they were in the past.’’
“Even giving them raw food from time to time no matter how little will go a long way to encourage the corps member to stay and be focused’’
He condemned a scenario in which a corps member is assigned to a school with no accommodation, transportation, or stipend in lieu.
He vowed to collaborate with the NYSC to ensure that each school on the board hosts at least 5 corps members per academic session, provides accommodation, and pays them a monthly stipend of at least 5000 naira.