The government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has just approved N35,000 national minimum wage for civil servants to help cushion the cost of survival following the removal of fuel subsidies in the country but there are no signs yet as to if the government has made plans concerning an upward review of the monthly allowance of the members of the National Youth Service Corps.
It could be recalled that the NYSC monthly allowance was last reviewed in 2020 from N19,500 to N33,000 under the leadership of the former president Muhammadu Buhari dating about three years today and looking at the current cost of living today, N33,000 is not worth much.
In an article in a national daily multiple corps members expressed their disappointment after expecting a review of their monthly allowance together with the increase of the National minimum wage but to their dismay, they continue to get the meagre N33,000.
It is important to note that most of these young graduates are posted far away from home to serve our country and that leaves them with the bills of their feeding, transportation, and other necessary expenses, some even pay house rent.
Again, the dropping value of naira, N33,000 is equivalent to little and is barely enough even for feeding alone.
It is important, therefore, for the federal government to urgently consider increasing the allowances to save these young men and women from the hardship they are facing while serving their fatherland.
Rhoda Ibrahim, Department of Mass Communications, University of Maiduguri
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