ERSTWHILE Director – General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. MI Tsiga, rtd, along with other prominent Nigerians, was honoured with the highest membership status by the Nigeria Institute of Management, NIM, on Monday, September 26, 2011. He was awarded the Fellow of the institute, the first NYSC DG to be so awarded.

According to the letter of award, it was in recognition of his contributions in the area of youth development and his giant strides while he held sway as the Director-General of the scheme.

Since its inception in 1973, the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme has never had it more challenging than now. From the ever ballooning number of graduates to be mobilised for each service year, to the inability of relevant stakeholders to live up to their statutory responsibilities and now, to the current spate of insecurity bedeviling our dear country. This is coupled with the sustained media attack on the scheme with detractors calling for its outright proscription.

Paradoxically, the scheme has never had it so good than now. No aspect of the scheme has not been touched positively and the NYSC is unarguably the most popular organisation in the country. It is not by chance that these important mile stones were reached during the tenure of General Tsiga.

The good General has not only displayed an uncommon commitment to the ideals of the scheme, he has also shown and employed initiative in guiding the scheme to the lofty heights it currently occupies. He is also blessed as his tenure has seen the NYSC experience the most trying times and publicity. The scheme’s emerging from these numerous challenges with only a few scratches bears eloquent testimony to the mettle General Tsiga is made of.

During his tenure, he was able to bring about confidence in the ability of the scheme to rise to the challenges and the scheme had been a success so much so that youth corps members’ contribution to national development culminated in the scheme being called upon to play the all important role of officiating in national elections.

The corps members whose welfare was paramount to General Tsiga never had it this good. First, is the unprecedented increment in the monthly allowances of corps members from N9,725 to N19,800. The NYSC has equally signed a memorandum of understanding with Health Maintainance Organisations, HMOs, so that corps members could benefit from the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, programme of the Federal Government, whereby they will have free and easy access to healthcare wherever they are.

In his more than two years at the helms, his advocacy visits to stake holders have brought about positive changes in the scheme. Presently, there are less than 10 states nationwide without a permanent orientation camp and more corps lodges have been built across the country.

He had also, through the creation of gender desk office, ameliorated the difficulties encountered by women such as pregnant and nursing mothers, married women as well as widows during their service year. Both staff and corps members have also benefitted from various trainings and workshops within and outside the country with a view to improving their output. All members of staff have benefitted from one form of training or the other during his stint at the NYSC as the Director – General. This is in addition to the inauguration of a permanent committee on staff housing where staff have been empowered to obtain houses. At the time Tsiga left office, no fewer than one thousand members of staff have benefitted from the housing loan.

Still in the area of staff welfare, his administration established a modern clinic fully equipped to cater for members of staff of the NYSC headquarters. It has also established, through public private partnership initiative, an ultra-modern staff canteen, in addition to securing, through same process, a 32-seater coaster bus for use by members of staff.

Indeed, General Tsiga left footprints that time will never wash away and his name, even after serving out his tenure in the NYSC, will forever remain synonymous with the scheme.

Mr.  SULAIMAN KAWUpublic affairs commentator, wrote from Abuja