National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have appealed to the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to increase their allowance, stating they are facing serious hardship.
The corpers, whose appeals come almost a month after the federal government announced a wage award of N25,000 expressed dissatisfaction and concerns over their exclusion from the award.
Recall the adjustment in workers’ salaries was due to the National Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) protest against the hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal.
However, the Federal Government is yet to implement an increase in the NYSC members’ N33,000 monthly allowances.
A serving corps member in Ogun State, who identified himself as Melekwe Anthony, said: “While the government should be commended for paying Corpers regularly and increasing the monthly allowance from N19,500 to 33,000 naira, I think that our government should do more given current hardship in the country as most of us are starving.
“With the cost of foodstuff in the market, transportation, and other necessary expenses right now, excluding personal savings, Corpers should certainly be earning more than they do. We know how important it is to serve our country but posting graduates far away from home to serve on empty stomachs is certainly not encouraging.”
Another serving corps member in Rivers State, Aniete Essien, said: “The Federal Government is not treating us well. After the increment of minimum wage to N65,000, corpers all over Nigeria were very happy and we were expecting it to be reflected in our monthly allowance but now the Federal Government has failed us and we are not happy. My message to the Federal Government from my point of view and with what we are facing in the country, I’m pleading that they should look into this because corps members are suffering and it’s majorly due to the inflation in the country”
Gabriel, who is also a serving corps member in Rivers State said: “It was good news when President Bola Tinubu announced the increment of minimum wage, corpers were expecting that our allowance would be increased also.
“My message to the Federal Government is that they should say something and they should try to do what they say, that will help increase our trust in them”.
Sharing the same view, Nnanna, a corps member who has completed six months of his service year in Rivers State, said: “I’m very sad indeed, based on what I’m seeing, they are still paying N33,000 instead of increasing our allowance. Corpers here are going to their PPA (Place of Primary Assignment) almost every day, we are spending money on food and the government is not taking adequate care of us. The N33,000 allowance is not enough to provide our daily bread and it’s not encouraging at all. The Federal Government should help us increase our allowance. Some of us pay transportation fares to go to our PPAs and if you calculate it for a month it’s very close to the entire N33,000 allowance we are getting.”
However, Mercy, another serving corper said reducing the cost of living will be more effective. “The solution is not increasing the allowance of corpers but rather to reduce the cost of living,” she said.
