The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for an investigation into the leadership of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) following the non-payment of the newly approved ₦77,000 monthly allowance for serving corps members.
Expressing disappointment over the delay, NANS condemned the NYSC for failing to implement the new allowance despite approval by the federal government months ago.
It will be recalled that the federal government had approved an increment in corps members’ monthly stipend from ₦33,000 to ₦77,000, effective July 2024. This approval was formalized in a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, dated September 25, 2024, and signed by its Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, in line with the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Yushau Ahmed, had announced on January 30, 2025, that corps members would begin receiving the ₦77,000 allowance from February. However, reports indicate that corps members were still paid the previous ₦33,000 stipend in February, prompting outrage and disappointment among beneficiaries.
Reacting to the development, NANS, through its National Vice President for Inter-Campus Affairs, Akinbodunse Sileola Felicia, insisted on a thorough investigation into the NYSC’s failure to fulfill its payment obligations. She questioned the delay despite Brig. Gen. Ahmed’s public assurance that the new stipend would take effect in February.
“Findings by my office revealed that corps members received only ₦33,000 for their February allowance last Friday, instead of the ₦77,000 promised by the NYSC DG,” Felicia stated.
She further noted that while federal and many state governments have commenced payment of the new minimum wage to their workers, the NYSC has yet to extend the same benefit to corps members, despite receiving increased funding from the federal government.
NANS decried the situation as a “gross injustice” to corps members, especially amid the rising cost of living in Nigeria.
“The NYSC has no justification for withholding the payment of the approved allowance,” NANS emphasized, adding that the continued delay could demoralize corps members.
The student body has vowed to engage the NYSC leadership to seek explanations for the delay and ensure that corps members receive the revised allowance as promised.
NANS also urged the federal government to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure that corps members benefit from the newly approved minimum wage without further delay.
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