Katsina NYSC boss laments non-payment of allowances, deplorable lodges

The Katsina State Head of Service, Falalu Bawale, has assured that the state government had taken steps to resume the payment of monthly allowances to serving corps members.

Buwale also vowed that the corpers’ worries over the provision of decent accommodations would be sorted out.

He said, “Corps members are regarded as workers in the state, and all workers are under my office, so they are also under my office. Therefore, I must see to their welfare and comfort wherever they are working in the state.”

Bawale, who gave the assurance in Katsina State while playing host to the newly posted State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps, Ibrahim Saidu, in his office at the weekend further disclosed that in no distant time, the NYSC will receive the supply of mattresses that were long overdue as well as plastic chairs.

“I will do everything within my office to support you so that the NYSC will achieve its required successes. I will call for a meeting with the Commissioner for Youth in the State, including the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on the issue of corpers lodges in all the local government areas,” he added.

Arewa PUNCH learnt that there was a committee set up by the current government to investigate the reasons for the stoppage of the monthly allowances of the  serving corps members in the state.

Earlier, the Katsina State NYSC boss had informed the Head of Service that corps members deployed to the state were no longer comfortable as many of them could not afford moderate accommodation.

He lamented the deplorable condition of the orientation camp, stressing that the mattresses that were bought by the previous government were no longer in good shape.

Ibrahim also bemoaned the present state of the lodges built for corps members at the various local government areas long ago by the state government, disclosing that many of the lodges had been encroached upon or forcefully taken over and reallocated to other establishments in the state, while the few ones remaining are in dire need of total renovation.

He further pointed out, “At the same time, the state allowances in lieu of accommodation and transport had not been paid in several months.

“The transit camp for the corps members in the state capital is in a dilapidated state requiring total renovation.

“The Federal Government was playing its role, but the statutory responsibilities of the state government needs more attention,” Ibrahim added.