Sokoto Tasks Corps Members to Lead Local Devt Drive

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto 

The Sokoto State Governor,  Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, has challenged 2026 Batch ‘A’ stream 11 corps members posted to the state to become frontline agents of change in their host communities.  

Represented by the Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Development, Engr. Muhammad Mustapha Kofar Marke, Governor Aliyu told the fresh graduates that their national service was more than a rite of passage. It was a direct call to confront Nigeria’s toughest problems with honesty, skill, and dedication.  

“As a highly skilled segment of our population, it behoves on you to be part of the problem-solving team,” the governor declared. “Express your potentials through honest and dedicated service to your host communities.”  

The charge set the tone for the swearing-in ceremony that officially flagged off the three-week orientation course for the new batch.  

Aliyu did not mince words about the realities awaiting the corps members beyond the camp gates. He listed youth unemployment, poverty, rising crime, and a declining standard of living as “daunting developmental challenges” testing the country’s resolve.  

He argued that such complex, multi-dimensional problems demand “every rationale means available to us,” stressing that corps members remain one of Nigeria’s most valuable human resources.  

To succeed, he said, they must first understand the people they are serving. “Our people are generous and loving, but place high premium on respect for the law of the land, especially culture and ways of life generally,” Aliyu cautioned.  

The governor linked effective participation in camp activities to the broader goal of national development. Drills, lectures, and skill acquisition programs, he noted, are designed to put corps members “on the right perspective” for the task ahead.  

Security concerns, a recurring worry for many deployed outside their home states, also received attention. Aliyu assured the gathering that the state government “is mindful of your welfare and security, and has provided significantly toward these.”  

He further pledged that both government and citizens of Sokoto would maintain a peaceful atmosphere to enable public and private sector growth during the service year.  

Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mr. Tyoyer Gabriel Ter, praised the new corps members for their conduct since arrival. He said they had “already exhibited positive virtues and high standard of patriotism” at the camp.  

“This is a clear indication that they will excel in the tasks assigned to them during the orientation course and service year,” Ter stated.  

He charged the corps members to embrace all camp activities, describing them as carefully designed to build self-reliance and prepare youths for future responsibilities.  

Ter also expressed gratitude to Governor Aliyu and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, for their consistent support for the scheme in the state.  

The high point of the ceremony was the administration of the oath of allegiance by Justice Kabiru Muhammad, who represented the Chief Judge of Sokoto State, Justice Muhammad Saidu Sifawa.  

Hundreds of corps members, clad in the scheme’s signature white and khaki, repeated the pledge to serve Nigeria with loyalty and integrity.