NYSC Benue coordinator tells corps members: avoid night travel, stay out of local politics
- Veronica Garba, NYSC coordinator in Benue, addressed corps members at the close of their 21-day orientation camp in Wannune.
- She warned them against night travel, local politics and taking the law into their own hands.
- She also urged them to respect host communities and take the SAED skills programme seriously.
Corps members serving in Benue State have been told to stay away from night travel and local politics during their service year. The warning came from the state coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Veronica Garba.
Garba spoke at the closing ceremony of the 21-day orientation course for the 2026 Batch C Stream I, held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area.
She advised the young graduates to remain vigilant and to report suspicious movements or activities to the appropriate authorities rather than take the law into their own hands. She also asked them to respect the customs and traditions of the communities where they will serve, and to avoid anything that could disturb peaceful coexistence.
Why it matters
Benue has seen repeated security trouble in recent years, and corps members are often posted to rural areas far from home. A warning on night travel and local politics is a practical safety message for young people living among strangers for a year.
Garba did not stop at safety. She challenged the corps members to start Community Development Service (CDS) projects that meet real needs in their host communities. She also urged them to take the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme seriously by joining post-camp training and learning practical skills.
Her point: the allowance and the certificate are not the whole point of service. Skills learned along the way, she said, promote self-reliance and prepare corps members for life after service.
She congratulated the corps members on finishing the orientation course, which she described as the first cardinal programme of the scheme. She thanked God for preserving the lives and health of corps members and camp officials throughout the exercise.
Garba also commended Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia for providing a safe and conducive environment for the NYSC programme in the state, and acknowledged the support of stakeholders and collaborating agencies.
What happens next
The corps members now move to their Places of Primary Assignment (PPAs), where they will spend most of the service year, usually in schools, hospitals and local government offices. Post-camp SAED training is expected to follow.
