Senate advocates increase in NYSC members’ allowance

The Senate Committee on Sports has advocated an increase in the daily feeding allowance paid to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

This stance was advanced by the Chairman of the Committee, Sen.Obinna Ogba (PDP-Ebonyi) during the plenary in Abuja on Tuesday while submitting the committee’s 2022 budget defence report of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Ogba said it was worrisome that corps members who devoted their talents, skills in the service of the nation for one year were paid N600 as daily meal allowance as against the payment of N1,000 daily meal allowance to prisoners by the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The lawmaker also criticised the decrease in the yearly budgetary allocations to the ministry, calling for increased allocation of funds in its 2022 budget.

He said adequate fund was required to drive sports development, which ultimately would drive the development of youths and the economy at large.

READ ALSO: NYSC denies manual advising corpers to keep ransom for kidnappers

“Money is required for the development of sports in the country,” Ogba said.

He said that the five billion naira budgeted in the ministries’ 2022 capital expenditure was grossly inadequate for sports development and mobilisation of youths into sporting activities.

In his submission, a member of the committee, Sen. Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi) said there was an urgent need to increase funding to the ministry, adding that the committee had the ability to ensure improved allocation.

Adeyemi noted that investment in the sports industry would improve the economy.

He advocated for the provision of a “Special Fund “from the appropriation committee, adding that sport would provide jobs for unemployed youths and discourage social vices.

The Chairman of the committee, Sen.Barau Jibril (APC-Kano) said there was a need to have a “Master Plan” to drive sports development in the country.

He also said that private sector investment was the trend in sports development across the world.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now