No ghost corps member in NYSC – DG

 ABUJA – The Director General of the National Youth
Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi,
Sunday, debunked a medial report in one of the
national dailies that there were ghost corps
members, serving with the scheme.
Olawumi refuted the report during the 2015
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Desk Officers’
Training Workshop with the theme: ‘Broadening the
Horizon of FOIA Desk Officers for Enhanced
Compliance’, in Abuja
The DG noted that the report might not be
unconnected to failure of the newspaper to cross
check the information at their disposal or inability to
access such information, directing NYSC Desk Officers
across the country to always comply with the Act.
“I am imploring you! Please, make information
available, if you don’t do that you are giving people
opportunity to fill all the gaps with whatever they
have,” he directed.
According to him; “With the commitment of the
present administration to fighting corruption,
promotion of the rule of law and other fundamentals
of good governance, the implementation of the FOIA
must be given additional impetus not only by the
NYSC, but all stakeholders in the Nigerian project.
“It is in furtherance of this that, I seize the
opportunity to announce that corps members will be
used to enlighten our citizens at the grassroot on
their right to seek for information on government
policies and their implementation.
“The scheme will liaise with the Federal Ministry of
Justice to ensure a quick take-off of this initiative.”
Also speaking, the NYSC Director of Press and Public
Relation, Mrs Abosede Aderibigbe said the scheme
had demonstrated commitment towards the
implementation of FOIA since 2011 when it was
signed into law.
This commitment, she clearly said was obvious
through the workshop for NYSC Desk Officers, which
had been on since 2012 to equip them for optimal
performance.
Delivering her paper, the Head, FOI Unit Federal
Ministry of Justice, Mrs Stella Anukam explained that
the desire to have a better Nigeria informed the
establishment of FOIA.
“The reason for FOIA is to have a better nigeria, it is
not a cliche or an old law, it is a tool to promote good
governance, to have a better Nigeria. FOIA is a
paradigm shift from our old way of doing things. If
you know that you have done your work well, then
make it available,” she challenged.