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Buhari grants 65 ex-Corps members automatic employments

Published

3 years ago

May 19, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari has granted automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service to 65 former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Speaking at the NYSC 50th Anniversary Honours Award held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday, the Nigerian leader also highlighted numerous achievements of the scheme since its establishment 50 years ago.

The president said out of the 65 recipients, 52 individuals received the Presidential Honours Awards, while the remaining 13 were physically challenged ex-Corps Members recognised under the NYSC Hope Alive programme.

In addition to the employment, Buhari also disclosed that both groups would be awarded scholarships to pursue their education up to the doctorate degree level at any university of their choice within the country.

He also announced a cash prize of N250,000.00 for each of the top award winners, N200,000.00 for other award recipients, including the physically challenged ex-Corps members under the NYSC Hope Alive Programme.

Consequently, the president issued a directive to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the Minister of Education to ensure adherence to the employment offers and the granting of scholarships.

Buhari also used the occasion to pay tribute to corps members from the batches being honoured, who lost their lives under various circumstances while serving the nation.

‘‘But for their transitioning, some of them might have been here today as part of the honourees. May God grant their souls peaceful repose. They remain our heroes and heroines.

”The nation shall continue to remember their sacrifices towards building a strong, indivisible and egalitarian entity,’’ he said.

The president also sympathised with those sustained varying degrees of disability during the service year, acknowledging their significant sacrifices for the progress of the country and assuring them that the nation stands in solidarity with them.

‘‘Your labour shall not be in vain,’’ he said.

He also congratulated the founding fathers, past and present managers of the NYSC on its Golden Jubilee, commending their enduring faith, which has maintained NYSC as a vital platform for mobilising the youth towards national unity and development.

Buhari praised all Nigerians who have answered the call for National Service in the past fifty years for their patriotic zeal and commitment to the NYSC mandate.

According to him, it has justified its establishment as an interventionist agency, with a core mandate to foster national unity across the country, thereby breaking down ethnic suspicions and divisions.

‘‘The multiplicity of marriages contracted over the years by Corps Members, cutting across the boundaries of ethnicity and religion in no small measure, justifies my assertion,’’ he said.

Buhari also expressed his deep appreciation to retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the founding father of the scheme, who conceived the idea of the corps and brought it to fruition on May 22, 1973.

‘‘The NYSC has continued to afford successive batches of Corps Members as the veritable platform to make meaningful contributions, in the various spheres of our national life,’’ he said.

The president specifically commended the corps members for their role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by producing and distributing essential items such as face masks, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, and providing food and other relief materials to the needy people across the country.

He also applauded their discipline and neutrality when serving as adhoc personnel for the Independent Naional Electoral Commission (INEC), including during the 2023 General Elections, which contributed to enhancing the credibility of the electoral system.

The president acknowledged their contributions to the successful implementation of Social Intervention Programme,s such as N-Power and the School Feeding program through beneficiary enumeration.

‘‘I hasten to state without equivocation that with the quality of youths such as these, the future of this country, which rests upon their shoulders, is guaranteed.

”I give kudos to my dear diligent, patriotic and virile youths. You have done very well; and the Nation is very proud of you.

‘‘The success story of the fifty-year-old noble scheme will be incomplete without conspicuous mention of your outstanding contributions,’’ he said.

While recognising the crucial role of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development program in diversifying the national economy towards a more production-oriented model, Buhari assured continued government support for youth initiatives.

He highlighted the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), with a budget of N75 billion, as an example of empowerment initiatives aimed at promoting youth-related activities and fostering a better Nigeria.

The president commended the NYSC Management for its efforts in revenue generation and encouraged them to sustain its commitment.

He also appreciated the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers implemented by the NYSC and recognised the support of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, who donated a well-equipped ambulance for the operation of the NYSC Mobile Clinic.

Buhari called on individuals and corporate bodies to emulate this gesture to enhance access to quality healthcare, especially in rural communities.

On the need to reinvent the NYSC through the establishment of a Trust Fund, Buhari said he had been ‘‘briefed adequately’’ on the matter and commended the Management for the initiative.

He pledged his support for any genuine effort aimed at assisting the scheme in achieving its time-tested objectives.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, while commending the former corps members chosen for the presidential honour, said their sacrifices and commendable contributions, reflected the positive values they embodied during their service year.

“By distinguishing yourselves among hundreds of thousands of Corps members, you embody the nation’s pride and serve as a source of inspiration for other young people in Nigeria.

”Your strong sense of discipline, selflessness, dedication to work, exceptional community service, innovation, and leadership qualities enhance our hope for the country’s future.

”I am confident that this award will motivate you to render even greater service to our homeland.

“To the current corps members and other young individuals, it is my sincere hope that you will emulate these awardees by embracing higher ideals of patriotism.

”In everything you do, always prioritise Nigeria and let it manifest through sacrifice and dedicated service to our beloved nation,” he said.

Dare listed the N75 billion NYIF, the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES) and the National Young Farmers’ Scheme (NYFS) as enduring legacies of the Buhari administration’s deep commitment to the well-being and development of the Nigerian youth.

He said the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development had actively pursued initiatives such as Digital Skills Acquisition, Employability, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership (DEEL), as well as the Work Experience Programme (WEP), among others for the benefit of the youths.

According to the minister, the progress achieved through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program of NYSC is being consolidated by the current management.

He urged corps members and other young people to participate in these programmes, which would enable them to become self-employed and contribute to the growth of the nation’s economy.

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66th Independence: Gov Mbah urges thanksgiving, courage, and optimism

Published

27 minutes ago

October 1, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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…Says Tinubu’s reforms have created opportunities for states

…Bishop Onaga commends Mbah for good governance, improved security

As Nigerians mark the nation’s 66th Independence anniversary, Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has urged citizens to embrace courage, optimism and thanksgiving, stressing that nation-building is not always accompanied by fanfare.

Mbah spoke on Thursday at a thanksgiving Mass held at the Enugu Government House Chapel to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day.
He noted that although this year’s commemoration was largely low-key and devoid of fanfare across the country, the quietness of the celebration should not diminish the significance of the occasion.

“Nation-building is not always accompanied by fireworks,” the governor said.

He observed that some of the most consequential work in the country was being done quietly in classrooms, hospitals, farms, construction sites, factories, businesses, laboratories and security formations, as well as in countless places where Nigerians wake up every morning and continue to contribute to the country’s progress.

“There are moments in a nation’s journey when the difficulties are so immediate that it becomes difficult to see the possibilities beyond them. But dawn does not announce itself with noise. It begins quietly.

“So, even as we acknowledge the difficulties that confront us, we must also acknowledge that Nigeria’s journey has not been an underwhelming one,” he stated.

Continuing, Mbah recalled that Nigeria had survived crises that tore other nations apart, while noting that the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu were beginning to create new opportunities and conditions for economic growth.

“Let us acknowledge honestly the challenges before us. But let us also refuse the temptation to define Nigeria only by her difficulties. A nation is not measured only by the problems it faces, but also by the courage with which it confronts them.

“That is the spirit with which we must approach Nigeria at 66 – not with blind optimism, and certainly not with despair, but with faith, courage, honesty and work.

“It is heartwarming that the President’s policies and reforms have created remarkable opportunities for states that are prepared to take advantage of them.

“Today, there are also indications that some of the difficult reforms undertaken at the federal level are beginning to create conditions for greater economic stability and production,” he said.

Mbah described Enugu State as living proof of the promise of independence, resilience and self-belief, saying the state had moved from a narrative of decline to one of renewal.

“There was a time when the dominant conversation about Enugu was about what had been lost – about a city and a state whose best days were behind them.

“Today, a different story is being written. A renaissance is taking place – across our schools and hospitals, our roads and even in the skies, in once moribund factories, our agricultural communities, and our tourism space.

“This is why the story of Enugu is a story about what becomes possible when a people refuse to surrender to the limitations of yesterday. And that, for me, is the optimism that Independence Day should stir in every Nigerian,” he added.

The governor thanked the people of Enugu State for their support, reassuring them of his administration’s determination to remain focused on its development agenda.

“We will not be distracted from the work. We will remain faithful to the policies and projects that have changed the trajectory of our state and earned Enugu a more respectable reckoning, both within Nigeria and beyond.

“We will remain committed to the welfare and security of our people. We will continue to invest in education because the greatest infrastructure we can build is the human being.

“We will continue to strengthen our economy because prosperity must ultimately be measured by the quality of life of our people.

“And we will continue to build a state in which our children do not have to leave home to find a future,” he concluded.

Bishop Onaga commends Mbah for good governance, improved security
In his homily, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, expressed regret that Nigeria, despite its enormous potential, had yet to fully realise the promise of independence, particularly in the face of persistent security and economic challenges.

He, however, emphasised that Nigerians had many reasons to give thanks to God.

Onaga commended Mbah for what he described as significant progress in the state, particularly in the area of security, stressing that sustainable investment and development could not take place in an atmosphere of insecurity.

“My dear brothers and sisters, if you were here between 2021 and 2023, the security situation was terrible.

“Those who may not know why I say this, let me tell you. Within that period, I buried four priests, killed. Some were kidnapped. But thanks to God; when the present government of the state came in, something was done immediately.

“I feel it. I think Enugu is the most beautiful state to have in Nigeria.

“Of course, it is not to say that it is all over. No. We need to do more,” he said.

The bishop urged leaders to deploy the mandates entrusted to them for the public good, stressing that political and public authority should be exercised as an opportunity to serve and care for the vulnerable.

“It is the power to love, to serve, and to care for the weak and the poor – those on the fringes of existence,” he said.

Onaga further called for a stronger moral foundation for the country, saying Nigeria’s progress should be anchored not only on material development but also on justice, holiness and truth.

“Our national map will not rest on purely material foundations. It will rest on a new moral condition built on justice, holiness, and truth,” he concluded.

The Mass was attended by heads of other arms of government, senior government officials and other leaders.

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Stop bringing cows, rams to judges, retiring S’Court Justice tells politicians

Published

11 hours ago

October 1, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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• Reveals how judiciary ‘frustrated’ military before June 12, 1993 annulment

A retiring Justice of the Supreme Court, Ibrahim Saulawa, yesterday cautioned politicians against attempting to sway judicial officers with what he described as “Greek gifts.”

Retiring from the bench on reaching the mandatory age of 70, the jurist insisted that action must be taken against the practice of politicians gifting cows and rams to judges, adding that he had previously raised the matter with the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“Why should a politician send a ram, cow or other items to a Supreme Court Justice? It is unheard of in other countries.

“I am calling on the CJN to do something about this. I once raised the issue. It is demeaning and equally frustrating,” added Justice Saulawa, who bowed out of the bench after a 44-year journey in the legal profession.

He spoke at a valedictory court session the apex court held in his honour.

While urging judges across the federation to embrace a culture of integrity, honesty and morality, the retiring Justice recalled a case in which an influential person he later convicted had tried, before judgment was delivered, to influence him through proxies after he declined a gift of a car.

“Prior to the case, the Alhaji had donated to me a brand new Peugeot motor vehicle, which I flatly rejected.

“He went to the extent of seeking the intervention of some prominent personalities, including the Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Usman, the District Head, Alhaji Balan Goggo, et al., with a view to influencing me to accept the ‘Greek gift,’ but to no avail,” Justice Saulawa added.

Only six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and 13 other lawyers attended the jurist’s valedictory session on Tuesday, in contrast to similar ceremonies in the past that attracted serving and former governors and other eminent personalities.

A representative of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BoSAN), Mr. Damien Dodo, SAN, who declared that he was embarrassed by the poor attendance of lawyers, blamed it on miscommunication, saying it was not a reflection of the personality of Justice Saulawa, who, he said, served the country “with granite integrity.”

The outgoing jurist disclosed that, while in service, he had, in a bid to safeguard his principles, turned down several invitations to attend social gatherings.

“But some of my learned friends are always there, even if they didn’t need to be there,” he noted.

Recalling the crisis that led to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Justice Saulawa said that, as the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal at the time, he took steps to stem the tide of conflicting court orders which, he said, were orchestrated by the military.

He noted that while the FCT High Court issued two interim orders that restrained the Professor Humphrey Nwosu-led National Electoral Commission (NEC) from conducting the presidential poll and from announcing the results, some state high courts issued conflicting orders directing that the results be announced.

Insisting that the legal confusion was masterminded by the military, Justice Saulawa said he acted on the directive of the then President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice M. Akanbi, by swiftly moving to Kaduna to take control of the appellate court’s registry.

“Appeals were filed at the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division, by the NEC. As the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, and the only spokesperson thereof, I flew from Lagos to Kaduna and took effective control of the Registry and supervised the registering of the appeals and the issuing of the appropriate court processes to the respective parties to the appeals.

“I equally issued a press release regarding the circumstances surrounding the two appeals and motions relating to..”

“Later in the evening, I flew back to Lagos and briefed the PCA, Hon. Justice MMA Akanbi, a man of unquestionable integrity and unwavering courage. Upon my advice, the Hon. PCA called for an emergency meeting of the Hon. Presiding Justices over the crisis,” he added.

He said it was after every effort the military made to infiltrate the judiciary “was frustrated by myself and Justice Akanbi” that the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the outcome of the presidential contest on the excuse that he was saving “the judiciary from self-destruction.”

While faulting the military for engaging in “forum shopping,” which he said led to all the conflicting court orders, Justice Saulawa insisted the judiciary at that time deserved “a gold medal.”

“We actually did all we could do to frustrate the military,” he added.

Meanwhile, the CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, in her address at the valedictory court session, extolled Justice Saulawa’s virtues, describing him as “a man whose life has been defined by service.”

The CJN recalled the time the retiring Justice was serving as the Presiding Justice of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, saying: “There was, during that period, a particular moment which has remained with me, because of what it revealed about the values we both held dear.

“A situation arose which called for a clear and principled response to an attempt, however discreetly made, to place a matter of personal benefit in the path of judicial duty.

“Without hesitation, we each took the position that the integrity of the judicial office admits of no compromise and that even the appearance of impropriety must be guarded against.

“What followed was a quiet but unmistakable affirmation of a principle that needed no elaborate expression: that the honour of the judicial office is preserved not merely in our judgments from the Bench, but also in the choices we make when no judgment is being written.

“I believe that moment deepened my appreciation of my Lord’s character and, in its own quiet way, helped to define the mutual respect and understanding that have characterised our relationship since,” the CJN added.

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Flood kills 9 in Bauchi mining pit

Published

12 hours ago

October 1, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Nine miners have died after floodwater submerged a mining pit in Nahuta Village, Gwana District, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, confirmed the incident on Wednesday.

He said the incident occurred on Sunday, September 27, when the miners were working at a mining pit that was flooded following heavy rainfall.

According to him, Kasim Abdulsalam, the purchase manager of Zurfi Mining Company in Nahuta, reported the incident to the police.

Habib said the miners were contract workers operating at Pit Three when water flooded the pit after heavy rainfall around 3pm on September 25.

He said some of the miners were rescued, while one victim was electrocuted and rushed to General Hospital, Kashere, in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, where he was confirmed dead.

“The DPO Alkaleri led a team of detectives to the scene, where three water pump generators were seen evacuating water from the pit to enable the rescue of the remaining victims,” he said.

Habib said the remaining eight miners were eventually removed from the pit at about 6:20am on September 28 and taken to the same hospital.

He said they were all confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

The deceased were identified as Hamidu Ali, 40, Saidu Abubakar, 29, and Olije Abdulrazak, 25, all from Nasarawa and Kogi states.

Others were Musa Abdullahi, 29, Abdulrahman Mu’azu, 23, and Jafar Abbas, 24, from Bauchi State; Jose Ukese, 28, from Nasarawa State; and Haruna Alkali, 30, from Kebbi State.

Habib said the corpses were released to their relatives after medical examination for burial according to their respective religious rites.

He added that investigation into the incident was ongoing.

Rivers relocates school as flooding submerges homes

The Rivers State Government has relocated students and staff of Community Secondary School, Rumuapara, to State Primary School, Nkpolu, in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, following severe flooding in the area.

The relocation took effect on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to protect students and staff from the effects of flooding that has submerged the school premises and several nearby houses.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, approved the relocation in a circular obtained by Daily Trust in Port Harcourt.

He said the decision was necessary to safeguard the lives and well-being of students and staff while the government worked towards finding a lasting solution to the problem.

Flooding has affected several communities in Rivers State, particularly in Port Harcourt, displacing residents and destroying property.

NEMA places 15 states on red alert

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has placed 15 states on flood red alert as it steps up preparations for possible flooding across the country.

The affected states are Imo, Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers, Edo, Kogi, Taraba, Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu and Abia.

The Head of Operations, NEMA Kaduna Operations Office, Halima Dauda Sulaiman, disclosed this on Wednesday in Kaduna at the opening of a refresher course on Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) for flooding.

Sulaiman, who spoke on behalf of the Director-General of NEMA, said flooding remained the most recurring disaster in the country.

She said the agency was strengthening the capacity of emergency responders to deal with the changing nature of flood disasters.

According to her, lessons from NEMA’s flood operations in 2022, 2024 and 2025 showed that urban flooding was becoming increasingly complex.

“The 2022, 2024 and 2025 flood operations have taught us a hard lesson that urban flooding is becoming more complex.

“We are not just rescuing people from open water; we are navigating through urban settlements with submerged houses, collapsed walls, live electrical hazards and panicked populations,” she said.