NYSC Urges Religious Tolerance, National Unity, Swears In 1,553 In Osun

Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been encouraged to shun all forms of religious intolerance, and ethnic bigotry and learn to embrace and respect one another's differences.

They were also reminded that the NYSC orientation course is a very critical ingredient to the attainment of national unity, integration and peaceful coexistence.

This was contained in the address of the Abdulwahab Olayinka, the Osun NYSC State Coordinator at the swearing-in and official opening ceremony of the 2022 Batch B Stream I orientation course on Tuesday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Ede.

Olayinka also emphasised that the NYSC scheme is the vehicle that avails participants the platform to practice what they have been taught in the various institutions.

She restated that the scheme has since its inception been committed to the mobilisation and training of Nigerian graduate youths towards national reorientation and development.

"The scheme avails you the leverage as patriotic citizens to contribute your quota toward building a united, peaceful and egalitarian society.

"You have been drawn from different states of the federation, from different cultures, backgrounds, academic clime, religions and ideologies and are brought together to integrate, interact and work as a team to achieve the lofty ideals of our founding fathers and heroes past," she said.

The Osun NYSC boss who noted that the scheme is a 49-year-old legacy of the nation added that as true compatriots, corps members were expected to know their roles in ensuring that the country's identity was preserved in such critical times.

While charging corps members to use the new media to project themselves and the scheme positively, she enjoined them to we themselves as ambassadors of the scheme and the nation.

"Do not use your social media handles to spread hatred or peddle fake news but learn to spread love, kindness and happiness everywhere you go."

Earlier, in his welcome address, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Mohammed Kaku Fadah called on corps members to be security conscious at all times.

In a speech delivered by the Osun NYSC State Coordinator, General Fadah also asked them to report all suspicious activities around them to the appropriate authorities.

The swearing-in ceremony which was presided over by the Chief Justice of Osun, Justice Adepele Ojo who was represented by Justice Adedapo Olugbenga Adeniji saw a total of 1553 prospective corps members being sworn in.

Of the 1553 prospective corps members sworn in, 735 were males while the rest 818 were females.