NYSC to review N4, 000 online registration – DG

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) may bow to public pressure to reduce the controversial N4, 000 online registration fee the NYSC intended to charge prospective corps members. But that will not take effect from the imminent orientation exercise but from subsequent ones. The Director of Press and Public Relations in NYSC, Mrs. Bose Aderibigbe, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja between the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.- Gen. Johnson Olawumi, and the Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youth Affairs, Mr. Jude Imagwe. She said, 'He (Imagwe) came to find out what is going on about the outcry against the payment of N4,000 online registration by prospective corps members. The DG told him that the N4,000 being paid is not for call-up letters but just for the operation and provision of infrastructural facilities in all NYSC camps and its 37 secretariats and offices in the 774 local governments nationwide. It is for putting these Internet and manpower facilities to ensure easy operation of prospective corps members. 'The DG has stated that the N4,000 issue might not be reviewed for now but during subsequent orientation, it might be possible after management and Sidmach Technologies have sat down to see the possibility of the reduction. So for now, it might not be possible but subsequent ones, if it is possible the entire public will know about it.' There had been criticisms against the N4,000 fee but the NYSC had risen to its defence, saying the computerisation would ease the rigorous processes involved in the collection of call-up letters. The full computerisation of the mobilisation process beginning with the 2014 Batch 'C' mobilisation exercise was endorsed at the 2014 NYSC Annual Management Conference, held in Calabar. The Director of Corps Mobilisation in the NYSC, Mr. Anthony Ani, stated that the innovation would not bring about job losses for members of staff. - Punch.