NYSC Strengthens Relationship With Media

By Henry Tyohemba

Director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), General Yusha’u Ahmed, has emphasised that the scheme will continue to ensure seamless and deepened partnership with the media.

Ahmed stated this at the opening ceremony of the NYSC top management and state coordinators’ media workshop with the theme; “Leveraging On Media Organisations To Deepen The Contributions Of The NYSC To National Development In The Post Golden Jubilee Era.”

He enjoined the state coordinators to take a cue from the national directorate headquarters of NYSC by ensuring accessibility and closer interaction with media correspondents and bureau chiefs in their respective states.

While commending the media for their support over the years, he assured that the Scheme will always make regular and proactive disclosure of its operational policies.

The director-general said, “The importance and timeliness of this programme cannot be over-emphasised, particularly against the backdrop of the fact that in recent times, the Scheme had been in the eyes of the storm, due to some issues that are totally extraneous to the Corps and beyond our control.

“The criticisms generated by the kidnap of corps members or the involvement of serving and prospective corps members in fatal road accidents aptly underscore the foregoing state

“Therefore, we need to ensure seamless and deepened partnership with the media as they provide a veritable platform for our own side of the story to be heard.”

In furtherance of its advocacy efforts, the DG said he will soon embark on nationwide visitation of media houses to consolidate the gains so far made in the relationship.

Earlier, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, said the workshop became necessary given that the scheme needed to deepen its positive image from the grassroots through effective collaboration with the media, which is the most viable option to reduce to the barest minimum the negative criticisms on the Scheme, often based on subjective considerations by some people with veiled selfish interests.