NYSC Corps Members Protest Non-Payment of 5 Months Allowances in Borno

NYSC Corp members numbering hundreds staged a peaceful protest at the main entrance gate of Governennt House Maiduguri to register their grievances over non-payment of their 3-5 monthly allowances from the Borno State government Monday.

The corp members are those Medicals corps members undergoing the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) protested the non-payment of allowance promised by the Borno State government.

The Batch B NYSC members who besieged the Maiduguri Goverment House Monday morning said they have not been paid monthly allowances promised by the Borno state government since February 2019.

Spokesperson of the Medical corp members , Dr. Corrnelious Azi said, "The former governor, Kashim Shettima announced payment of N100,000 to each of the medical NYSC doctors and N50,000 to other medial corps member.

"Unfortunately, the payment has stopped since December. Government is owing us January, April, May and June," spokesman of the medial corp members".

He said they have written to the state government through the Borno State Ministry of Health but the state government was yet to respond.

Corrnelious appealed to the state government to approve the backlog in order not to discourage the medical corps members from seeking redeployment from the state.

He added about 64 medial corp members comprising of doctors, pharmacists, laboratory technologists and nurses formed over 50 percent of the medical workforce of the Borno state.

"Often times, we work extra hours due to shortage of medical personnel in the state health facilities.

"We have explored all alternative ways of dispute resolution but they haven't yielded results. We appeal to the government to honour its promise," Corrnelious said.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Borno State Ministry of Health, Alhaji Mustapha Alau said the governor has already directed the State Ministry of Finance to pay the medical corp members their outstanding monthly allowances immediately.

Alau added that the State Ministry of Health will also soon compute the outstanding balance of the payments and total number of the affected corp members for the payment.