By Maria Famakinwa

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When President Muhammadu Buhari increased the monthly allowance of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from N19,800 to N33,000 on April 18,2019, to correspond with the current national minimum wage, it was seen by a lot of Nigerians as a major change long overdue. Many of the Corps Members took to various social media platforms to celebrate the development with the hope that it would boost them financially.

Two years after the increment, Corps Members can no longer sustain themselves with the monthly stipend. Some of them who spoke with The Hope disclosed that they still depend on their parents and loved ones for survival, and appealed to the Federal Government to review the monthly allowance because the value of money two years ago can not be compared to what is obtainable now.

A serving Corps Member, Mr Tosin Oyetunji, explained that he was very happy when it was announced in 2019 that Corps Members allowances had been increased, because it would soon get to his turn to receive what he described as a huge amount of money. He however, said that now that he was receiving the monthly allowance, he understood better.

His words: “Two years ago when we heard that the monthly allowance of Corps Members had been increased, it was as if I should be one of them. I was looking at serving Corps Members then as being alright financially, and prayed for my time to come soon. Thank God, my time is here, but I am not enjoying the money as earlier planned. The money I thought would be enough for my feeding and probably saving, is no longer enough to cater for me.

” I have to deny myself some things  to save, otherwise, my parents will term me to be wasteful. The truth is that the money is not enough to meet my needs. Some of my colleagues depend mostly on their parents and families for their up-keep. We are not finding it easy at all,” he said.

Sharing a similar view, Mr Salem Duru, who is also observing the one year compulsory service, lamented that the N33,000 was not enough but better than the previous N19,800.

He said: “One thing I have come to realise is that your needs increase as your income increases. We all know the situation of the country now. It is very difficult to gain employment, much less a good one after the service year. The Federal Government has done a great job by increasing our allowance to N33,000, but, as I said earlier, the N13,200 addition is not enough because Corps Members go to the same market with others.

“The improved allowance is very good, but it cannot take care of my needs. The entire nation is battling an economic crisis that relatively makes life difficult for the poor masses. Prices of foodstuffs and other essentials are on the steady increase, aside transportation and accommodation, yet one will want to save to have something to fall back on after the service year. N33,000 monthly allowance is no longer useful.”

In her submission, Beatrice George, another Corps Members, described the increment as nothing compared to what she daily coped with in the market. The lady who disclosed that her parents often sent money to her to augment her monthly allowance, added that she could hardly meet her basic needs, due to the high rate of inflation currently experienced in the country.

She said: “ The high cost of living in the country is beyond the monthly stipend. How much is N33,000 compared to the current prices of goods and services in the market? The more I try to save, the harder it becomes. My earlier promise to have reasonable amount in my account at the end of my service year has been defeated already, because feeding and transportation are gulping my monthly allowance.

“I doubt if I can manage to save under this condition. I will love the Federal Government to make a policy that Corps Members should not be paying transport fares while in NYSC uniform.”

Asked if criminally minded individuals would not disguise as Corps Members to avoid paying transport fares, she laughed and said: “ It is possible but with our identification cards, it will help to identify real Corps Members. Some of us are planning that if we are able to save money at the end of our service year, it will help us to start  something meaningful instead of waiting for white collar jobs. Unfortunately as it is now, not all of us will be able to achieve the plan, going by the harsh economic situation. We are seriously feeling the heat,” she said.

Another Corps Members who identified himself as Godwin Ewah also lamented that the N33,000 approved for Corps Members over two years ago was no longer in tandem with current economic realities. While appealing to the Federal Government to increase the monthly allowance, he said that he often exhaust the stipend in just two weeks and afterwards, live on help from others.

His words: “Honestly, the ‘allawee’ is nothing. I spend at least N50,000 monthly on feeding and transportation from where I am residing to my place of primary assessment. The one year compulsory service is the highest level of school suffering. I used to live better than this when I was still in the university. To compound the woes of Corps Members, some private establishments rejected us. Those who accepted us reluctantly have no provision for accommodation for Corps Members, leaving us to our fate amidst growing insecurity in the country. I am appealing to the Federal Government to look into the challenges confronting Corps Members in the country and proffer lasting solutions, or in the alternative, the NYSC programme should be cancelled,” he advised.

Ms Funke Arise, who completed her one year compulsory service last year shared her experience. “My expectation was high when I started receiving my monthly allowance, I listed needs to be met, many of which I could not achieve when I faced the reality. I realized that the money could not take care of my needs after four months of receiving the monthly allowance. For instance, a friend who was posted to Lagos State told me that he spent more than N20,000 on transportation alone. If the Federal Government increase the allowance, it will be a  good development, but I know that such will not happen till the next 10 years.”