A group of serving National Youth Service Corps members has requested that their monthly allowances be reviewed due to the Economic hardship being faced in the country.
The letter which was directed to the President Bola Tinubu and obtained by Punch Online, laments that the high cost of commodities occasioned by the high cost of living has forced them to resort to menial jobs to make ends meet.
The NYSC corps members represented Concerned Corps members expressed their concern in the open letter to the President.
The letter read in part, “We would like to respectfully advocate for the inclusion of NYSC corp members in the recent wage increment initiatives. As young graduates who have committed to a year of service to our great nation under the sun and in the rain, with dedication and selflessness, we play a crucial role in various sectors, contributing to national development, community building, and the implementation of government programmes at the grassroots level.
“The skyrocketing prices of goods and services in the local markets only exacerbate our frustrations. Some necessities have become unaffordable luxuries, pushing many corps members to the brink of despair.
“It is a widely known fact that the economic situation of the country needs more coping skills, because of this many of us find ourselves serving in challenging environments with higher costs of living.
“As a result of this, many of us resort to fetching and drinking water from streams and even going to farms to render services in exchange for food. These activities endanger our lives and expose us to unfavourable conditions that will harm us sooner or later.”
They further urged the NYSC authority to also look into the unfavourable work conditions that some corpers are being subjected to at their places of primary assignment.
