Members of the Nigerian House of Representatives have approved the payment of USD24 (NGN4,000) as online registration fee for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
According to the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development, Rep Kamil Akinlabi, the fund would be used for installation of equipment at the NYSC offices nationwide. He also said the fund would enable the contractor handling the project to recoup investment within five years.
Akinlabi said: “from the onset, when the matter was brought to our attention, the first thing we felt was the way you are feeling but after constructive engagement, we discovered that it was an innovation that we can’t run from.
“First, it was not the responsibility of the NYSC to mobilize respective Corp member to get their call-up letter, it is the responsibility of the parent. If somebody schooled in Lagos but lives in Kano and to get his call-up letter he has to travel to school.
He explained further that “so you will discover that it’s time consuming, risky and very expensive. So what the NYSC has done is to partner with a consultant that is already handling similar project for JAMB and WAEC that has eliminated similar risk to partner with them through public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
“And that PPP arrangement will be on Built Operate and Transfer. What are the terms of agreement? The contractor would be responsible 100 percent for the purchase and installation of every gadget that will be necessary to achieve that in all the 36 headquarters including FCT and in all local government headquarters as well as all orientation camps across the country.
“So, when we look at the cost of getting the equipment purchased and installing in all those strategic points, how will they recoup their investment since government is not injecting a penny?
They proposed N6,000 so we interacted with them that there is no way this should be on a very high side.
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