Last week, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) organised an orientation and swearing-in ceremony for the ‘2024 Batch B Stream 1’ corps members. The exercise was hitch-free across the federation.
It was also eventful in Niger state. However, by the time the programme’s curtain was drawn, a foggy dust was raised across the vast landscape of “The Power State.”
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, in his speech at the Niger state NYSC Orientation Camp in Paikoro town, announced a largesse of N200,000 for each of the 1,600 corps members posted to serve in the state.
In addition, the governor donated 20 cows and one trailer load of rice for the corps members’ welfare during the orientation. He also approved N5 billion for building a new NYSC camp and assured N500,000 monthly payments for those who venture into farming in the state after their service.
Bago emphasised his administration’s investment in mechanised agriculture, aiming to attract people, especially the youth, to agriculture. The largesse, according to Bago, is to encourage corps members to serve and even remain in the state after their service.
Governor Bago also announced automatic employment for corps members in the medical and health fields to improve healthcare delivery across the state. While this gesture by the Niger state chief executive was commendable, it sparked mixed reactions among Nigerlites.
Some praised the governor, while others criticised his generousity. An indigene of Niger state, in a Facebook group called “Nigerlites’ Speak Out,” questioned the governor’s action, saying: “Bago should pay a visit to our rural areas and see how schools in those areas are dilapidated, with few teachers. The money he doled out as a gift to the corps members should have been channeled into fixing some of the schools and employing auxiliary teachers.”
Another person wrote: “A misplacement of priority, acute shortage of quality governance ideas, and a pure act of financial mismanagement, as a result of having sycophants as advisers.”
Someone also wrote: “This is unfortunate. The governor’s gesture is at the detriment of pensioners in the state, whom he approved N25 billion for, the other day, but are yet to receive any alert. This is inhuman.”
Another “disillusioned” indigene wrote: “Dear Governor Umar Muhammad Bago, I understand your enthusiasm to change the narrative of governance in our dear Niger state. Unfortunately, the way you are going about it is hurting Nigerlites.”
Equally, someone wrote this: “With due respect Sir, that was extravagant. You can’t be splashing money anyhow when our general hospitals are decaying. These wastages should stop.”
Then, another person wrote: “Please Sir, reduce your speed and concentrate on serious issues of governance, which will benefit Nigerlites.”
One member of the group also wrote: “I don’t even know who is advising our governor. There is a need for Mr. Governor to be reading his well-prepared speech, rather than speaking extempore.”
And then, this comment: “Mr. Governor, charity begins at home. Workers, retirees, and thousands of graduates in your state deserve that. Nigerlites voted for you, not corps members.”
However, it was a different stroke for Baba Mohammad Dzukogi, one of Nigeria’s famous writers and gifted poets. Dzukogi, while hailing the governor’s action in a social media post, said: “I have always wondered why state governments won’t build a befitting NYSC camp in their states.
“So, Bago is right on course with a N5 billion new NYSC orientation camp for corps members in Niger state. He should remember to incorporate skill acquisition units there as I once proposed. Let Niger’s own be a new model for Nigeria.
“Anytime the corps members are away and the camp is empty, boys and girls from local government areas in Niger state could use it for skill acquisition training for four weeks. Therefore, we are building the camp for the dual functionality of Niger youths and for other Nigerians. If Bago gives each corps member N200k, so what?
“If a state government elsewhere gives my child N200k in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, Ogun, Plateau, or Borno states as a corps member, I will never forget that gesture as a parent. In your small circle or corner of Niger state, you may not always understand the gestures of leaders that engage the nation positively, by some of them who are proactive and forward-looking towards a cohesive society.
“With this gesture of Bago, brilliant Nigerian youths coming to Niger state could be attracted to key into our agricultural revolution programme. Do not be quick in dismissing little gestures that have the potential to bring forth greater values to our state among Nigerians.
“So, Bago’s gesture to the corps members deserves commendation. In fact, Nigerian youths who have suffered to acquire university education at this moment of national crisis and lack deserve more than N200k.”
Certainly, it is pointless to fault either those who celebrated or criticised the pronouncement of Governor Bago. It is within their constitutional right to express their viewpoints without any let or hindrance.
Those who said it was wrong may be right, in the sense that many pressing needs within the state, such as dilapidated schools, inadequate healthcare facilities, and unpaid pensions, could arguably benefit more directly from such financial allocations. Prioritising these areas might address immediate and critical concerns of the broader populace, thereby fostering a more sustainable development approach.
While the likes of Dzukogi may also be spot on, in the sense that providing an immediate financial boost and infrastructural investment for NYSC members can create long-term benefits. This can encourage educated youth to remain in the state, potentially contributing to its agriculture and healthcare sectors, and overall economic development.
Such initiatives can help build a skilled workforce committed to the state’s progress. While the debate over the appropriateness of Bago’s actions continues, it is clear that his intentions were to provide immediate relief and long-term benefits for the youth.
His largesse of N200,000 to each corps member and substantial investments in NYSC infrastructure aim to attract educated youth to stay and contribute to Niger state’s development.
By offering automatic employment in the medical and health fields and encouraging agricultural ventures with significant financial support, the ‘Farmer Governor’ is attempting to address multiple socio-economic issues in the state.
However, Nigerlites peeved by his benevolence to the newly-posted corps members argue that the “huge cash donated” could have been better allocated to pressing needs such as dilapidated schools, inadequate healthcare facilities, and unpaid pensions, which affect a larger portion of the state’s population.
Their criticisms underscore a broader concern about prioritisation and financial management within the state’s governance, suggesting that while the governor’s initiatives are well-intentioned, they may not address the most immediate and critical needs of teeming Nigerlites.
On the other hand, supporters like BM Dzukogi view the action of Governor Bago as a visionary step towards boosting the long-term sustainable development of Niger. By investing in the NYSC camp and offering substantial incentives, Bago is creating a conducive environment for young graduates to thrive and contribute to the state’s growth.
Dzukogi’s perspective highlights the potential for these initiatives to foster a skilled workforce dedicated to the state’s agricultural revolution and overall economic development.
The governor’s strategy, if balanced and well-implemented, could indeed yield significant positive changes by retaining talented individuals who might otherwise leave Niger State for better opportunities elsewhere.
While it is important to address the immediate infrastructural and welfare needs of the state, nurturing the next generation of professionals and entrepreneurs is equally crucial for sustainable progress.
As such, the discourse surrounding Bago’s recent largesse (to a segment of young Nigerians) is a microcosm of the larger debate on how best to achieve balanced and inclusive development in our beloved “Power State”.
Mahmud, Deputy Editor of PRNigeria, can be reached via: [email protected].