Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have expressed their disapproval of the Federal Government’s persistent failure to implement the payment of the N77,000 allowance.
The federal government has approved a raise in the monthly payment for corps members from N33,000 to N77,000, beginning July 2024.
In the same year, NYSC Director-General Brig. Gen. Yushau Ahmed indicated that the new allowance was implemented due to money not being released.
The DG later declared that corps members will begin getting N77,000 in February 2025.
Despite the formal declaration, it was gathered that the NYSC has yet to initiate payment of the N77,000.
Many corps members also reported to our correspondent that they received barely N33,000 for their February allowance on Friday.
A corps member stationed in Abia State accused the Federal Government of being untruthful over the payment of the N77,000 allowance.
The corps member, who talked with reporters on the condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to speak to the media, complained that the N33,000 allowance was insufficient.
She said, “The N33,000 is not enough for us. The PPA where we are posted doesn’t provide accommodation; we have to handle that ourselves. The economic situation of the country is not new to anybody. Feeding is another issue in an unfamiliar place. It’s nearly impossible to survive on N33,000 a month. PPAs don’t pay well; some pay as little as N4,000. Imagine surviving on N37,000 a month when you add the N4,000.
“Things are very expensive. I haven’t even included transportation costs. In the fellowship house where I’m staying, we contribute for food, and after that, one is left with a meager amount. I haven’t even mentioned other bills that have to be paid. The money is very poor, and the federal government keeps promising and failing us. This is very bad.”
Another NYSC member working in Osun voiced concern with the Federal Government over the delay in paying the increased allowance.
She said, “The federal government should do something; this N33,000 is insufficient. After calculating my expenses, I see that I spend over N70,000 a month. The money I spend on transportation alone is over N12,000 monthly, excluding the days I go for CDS. I had to call my mother to ask for support because this monthly allowance is inadequate. One cannot survive on this unless one is ready to suffer.”
Also, a corps member serving in Lagos expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, “I don’t know how they expect us to survive on N33,000 when there is so much hardship. They keep promising N77,000, yet we have not seen anything.”
The NYSC’s Director of Communication, Carol Embu, did not respond to our request for comment.
However, a senior official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the N77,000 payment had not yet begun.
“We are yet to start payment for the new allowance,” he said.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")