Your Excellency, we hail thee! When we pledge to serve our fatherland, it is truly to defend our unity. We all pray that Nigeria shall be great again and very much better. But trust me, any nation that must be great again must be committed to the welfare of her youths. We were told that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow by our fathers. Maybe that was the standard in their days. But now, the standard has truly changed because it is evident worldwide that youths are leaders from today and from now! Because youths are abreast with this reality, it has become an honour and delight for youths to obey the clarion call to lift our nation high under the sun and in the rain; and with dedication and selfless love if we must build a sustainable Nigeria...

It is the crave of every youth to serve Nigeria! But even amid the desire of fresh Nigerian graduates to serve their fatherland selflessly as corps members of the Nigerian Youth Service Scheme, the initial call to go serve in Borno State has always appeared to prospective corps members as a scary masquerade. Who wouldn't be shocked at first to realized that his call to serve Nigeria is a deployment to Borno State?... Even a toddler in Nigeria understands that Borno State has been the battle front of the War Against Boko Haram since 2009. Mummy thought I had gone crazy when I told her at first that I was going to serve in Borno State. I understood her fears and worries hence dealing with the issues with diplomacy. Nobody would gladly pick up the offer to serve in Borno State at this moment of uncertainty as loved ones will always see a clarion call to serve in Borno State as a suicide mission or a deadly adventure. Boko Haram may not be in camp zero anymore!... But we must accept the reality that they are now on the streets and they now live with us. So the uncertainty is more severe than when they had castles in the Sambisa Forest Camp Zero. However, I'll commend the efforts of the military, the State Government and the Federal Government in ensuring that Borno wakes up from this nightmare.

Haven said that, I think His Excellency, Governor Kasheem Shettima has got to appreciate Borno Corpers for their bravery to accept the solemn call to serve Nigeria in Borno State even when to their parents, it is an adventure of which a peaceful return to mummy and daddy is uncertain because anything can happen. With the news of suicide bombings making the trends on all media platforms, it truly takes a lion heart to answer the call to serve in Borno State. If I were the Governor, I'll go extra miles to making life and service year absolutely comfortable for every Borno Corper. I know the Governor to be a nice State Executive-in-Chief. I know him to be responsive to the agitation of people...and perhaps there are distractions right now and that may be why he hasn't given the right attention to Borno Corpers. I feel his plight and I commend his efforts to restoring sustainable peace in Borno State but I strongly think he needs to do something urgent to alleviate the plights and agony of Borno Corpers.

Several Corps members look so much frustrated right now in town... Its been a bad arrangement for them, especially the recent Batch B's, right from the first day of their orientation exercise in Bauchi State. From bad facilities in their Bauchi camp to what have you... Special appreciation to His Excellency who paid them visit in Bauchi when they relocated them to a better orientation environment. It was a great visit with great promises from accomodation through to N10,500 monthly State stipends. Who wouldn't be motivated to serve in Borno even amidst insurgency after haven been promised maximum security, comfortable accomodation, Good PPAs, and impressive State allowance to augment the NYSC allowee. Following the departure of the governor, several corps members who had filled relocation forms quickly withdrew their forms and saddled their ass for the Uncertain Borno Adventure...

Borno Corpers remained highly motivated until they arrived Maiduguri after the once in a lifetime Bauchi Orientation experience. On arriving Borno, the ancient Borno cock crowed and reality dawn on Batch-B Borno Corps Members. They were launched into the reality that is being faced and endured by the Batch A's. Is it that we shouldn't trust political promises anymore?... It is on getting to Borno State (Maiduguri to be precise) that Corps members realized that Promises made by the Executive Governor (either in person or through representatives) are always political promises that never come to pass...perhaps because the fight against insurgency and IDPs welfare take more of his attention and time. Once again your Excellency, I commend your efforts geared towards restoring normalcy in Borno State. You deserve a Man of the Year Award sir.

But the agony of Borno Corps Members still remain :No Accomodation..., PPA Rejection, N1,000 or no State Allowance..., Zero welfare packages for corps members..., No recognition and honours for outstanding corps members.., no security for selfless corps members and several others you can help me outline...... It's on getting to Borno that corps members realize that THEY ARE ON THEIR OWN! As I speak, we do not only have Internally Displaced Persons in Borno but a chunk of INTERNALLY DISPLACED CORPERS. I guess I should also use this medium to on behalf of the Executive Governor of Borno State call on Humanitarian Agencies to intervene to provide shelter for the so many Internally Displaced Corpers roaming the streets in confusion in a state of uncertainty like Borno. If Internally Displaced persons (IDPs) are provided with accomodation in the MMC, then I make bold to state that INTERNALLY DISPLACED CORPERS also deserve accomodation to be made available to them by the State Government and humanitarian agencies...

At this juncture, I must commend the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) Tudun Wada that has been a helping hand to corps members. I make bold to state that if a fellowship like NCCF is not in Maiduguri, Nigerian Youth Corps Members must have been sleeping on the streets of Maiduguri by now. But with a lodge of just six (7) small rooms and over ninety corps members, your guess is as good as mine as to how many corps members sleep in a room -Over fifteen (15) Nigerian Corps Members. "This is truly what the late music maestro, Feli Kuti described as SUFFERING AND SMILING!". How won't these feeling-betrayed corps members smile amidst suffering when they seem not to have a choice?... Thanks to NCCF once again for helping the government play its role even without any acknowledgement from either the Borno State Governor and his government. We are still expecting Batch B's Stream 2 in Maiduguri by February. And am sure the number of corps members in the NCCF Family Emergency Shelter Intervention house shall be rising to more than two hundred (200). You know what that implies?..., about Twenty (25) Nigerian Corps Members in a room... What better definition can you use to describe INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT... "Dan Allah Ku Yakuri!"...

This is the reality on ground and now is the time for the Executive Governor of Borno State, His Excellency, Alhaji Kasheem Shettima to ARISE and take prompt action to ensure the right welfare for selfless Nigerian Corps Members serving the nation in Borno State and also to ensure that no one is professionally marginalized in the welfare packages due to Borno Corps Members. Corps members need emergency accomodation, maximum security, state award recognition for outstanding corps members, good and secure PPA deployments, and every other necessary motivation. Deciding to serve in Borno state in this season of uncertainty is a NOMINATION for award on its own... Borno Corps Members need to be taken serious by the State Government for their bravery! I think the Executive Governor needs to pay a courtesy call to the NCCF Emergency Shelter Intervention Family house in Tudun Wada at night and see for himself how Borno Corpers pack themselves like stock-fish as they try to secure sleeping space. Very soon, when Batch B Stream II finally arrives, perhaps there may be a need for the NCCF leadership to draw up a sleeping roaster for Borno State Corps Members because even as we speak, Borno corpers take turns to have a mid-day nap. Once again, "Dan Allah Ku Yakuri!"...

I have been informed that the Executive Governor has provided accomodation for Doctors and allied medical health officers serving in State hospitals. I have been there to see for myself and truthfully I must commend the Governor for fulfilling his promise made to them in orientation camp. Those houses are supper houses. You can see for yourself in the photo and this to a great extent proves the Governor to be an Action Governor. But now the big question and concern is: should other corps members (Engineers, Barristers, Accountants, Educationists, Scientist ecetra) go to hell because they didn't study Medicine in the University? "Whatever is good for the goose is also good for the gander." If His Excellency is giving considerations to medical corps members, it is great administrative brilliance that the considerations should go to every corps member irrespective of the course one studied in the university. Without Teachers, there certainly will be no Doctors and other allied medical officers. A GRADUATE IS A GRADUATE; therefore, it is very wrong for the State Government to make Corps Members feel marginalised because they didn't study medicine and surgery in the University... If the State Government cannot provide accomodation for homeless corps members in a sensitive state like Borno, then I recommend that they are immediately relocated to other states where they shall be treated with some sense of Value and respect! "Dan Allah Ku Yakuri!"...

Finally, haven stated the pressing issues facing Borno Corpers, I must also confess that I know that the Executive Governor of Borno State, His Excellency, Alhaji Kasheem Shettima is a nice and industrious governor and that is why I am very confident that haven highlighted the pressing issues and agony of Borno Corps Members, I trust His Excellency to take immediate action to boast the motivation of Borno Corps Members who are committed to lifting Borno State High under the sun and in the rain; and with dedication and selfless love even amidst the fear of the unknown and uncertainty.

Your Excellency I hail thee!

God Bless Governor Kasheem Shettima,
God Bless NYSC, Borno State,
God Bless Borno State,
And Greater Nigeria ahead!


What shall we do for our country?
"THE CHANGE BEGINS WITH YOU AND I"

Borno Corpers
+2349064433505

Nobody listens. The government are blind to our plights The president probably deaf The Governors dumb maybe because EFCC might come knocking The Youths (or say most youths) gullible
I PRAY FOR NIGERIA I PRAY FOR OUR FUTURE

It is the crave of every youth to serve Nigeria!

When I got to the beginning of that second paragraph, I was like, "really??"

I could be wrong, but if it were not for the feeling of adventure, and the excitement of seeing a part of Nigeria that hasn't been visited before, and mingling with graduates from different institutions, I daresay no one looks forward to that waste of one year called NYSC.

By the way, what responsible government sends vulnerable youths into a zone that is still confirmed to be under continued siege by terrorists?
Even the NYSC uniform is an attractive target for the terrorists.
Serve the country at your own risk, man. Your safety is not assured. The NYSC certificate is no guarantee of you making a headway in your chosen career. In no distant time, the certificate will hold absolutely no water.

Instead of you to redeploy jeje

The question now is "will Oga seun and lalasticlala deem it fit to send this to front page?"

This is an honest cry for help to the state governor and I think it deserves to be seen

Nigeria was a country.

Mynd44, Seun, lalasticlala please do the needful