By Caleb Ayansina

ABUJA—The Director General of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brig-General Johnson Olawumi, yesterday, ruled out favouritism in the selection process of nominees in the forthcoming NYSC Presidential Award.

There had been complaints from some corps members that the selection of past winners of the award had been fraught with irregularities.

But Olawumi at the opening of 2014 President’s NYSC Honours Award National Selection Committee Meeting, in Abuja, insisted that the scheme would not derail from its core value of transparency, fairness and accountability.

To this end, he charged the committee to be fair and transparent to ensure that their decisions stood the scrutiny of the general public.

“As you embark on the selection process, I wish to implore you to approach the task with commitment, diligence and high level of responsibility.

“This is the only way by which the committee can come out with decisions that will bring the very best out of several nominees presented for selection.

“The assignment before the committee is a very sensitive one, therefore, decisions arrived at must be fair, so that they will not only stand the scrutiny of the general public, but meet the expectation of all Nigerians,” he said.

The Director of Corps Welfare and Inspectorate, NYSC, Mr Michael Ahile, who double as the Secretary of the committee, said: “The Inspectorate has taken some pains to verify claims from State Secretariat to forestall novelty and frivolities.

“With the steps we have taken. I am optimistic that the quality of the work will be satisfactory and indisputable.”