National Youth Service is fun especially when one gets to know the NYSC camp officials and the necessary activities that will take place in the 21 days orientation course.
From the Nigerian law that caters to the creation of the Scheme, all graduates both from universities and polytechnics are to “serve” the nation for a year, this will enable such citizen to have edge when it comes to employment.
During the 3 weeks camping, a corp member will meet a lot of officials in the camp, he or she is met to have this experience. The camp officials live inside the camp with the corps members also.
Camp officials that are male live within the male hostel with the male corp members while female camp officials also live within the female hostel.
There are about three hundred (300) NYSC camp officials one is likely to meet in the orientation course. Here are their categories;
1. The State Coordinator
The first and number one corp member in a state is the state coordinator. He/She is the highest personality in the camp with salary grade level (GL) 16.
The State Coordinators are responsible for the overall management and Organization of the orientation camp program. They address corp members on important topics. They also attend to corp members with issues during the camping period.
2. Camp Director
He/She is assign with the activities of the camp, and head all camp committees. In addition to that, they are in charge of the general well-being of corp members, and camp officials. They fall on the salary grade level of GL 15.
3. Camp Commandant
The Camp Commandant is always a military personnel. Any military person above the rank of captain or at the same rank.
They are responsible for the overall paramilitary training. They instill discipline in corp members and assist the state coordinator in general maintenance of camp.
Camp commandant assign soldiers to various platoons in the camp.
4. Platoon Inspector
There are usually ten platoons in each camp, and the platoons are headed by a platoon Inspector who in most cases are Local Government Inspector (LGI) after the camping activities.
They are responsible for all the corp members in their platoon. Platoon Inspectors maintain a register of all corp members, and ensure corp members attend all camp activities regularly and punctually by taking attendance register.
They take charge of the welfare of corp members, supervise participation in routine preparation of meals, sanitation, security, sport and games, social, etc.
5. Assistant Platoon Inspector
The person in charge of this office gives all the NYSC Kits to corp members in the platoon.
6. Management Team
The management team comprises the following offices;
a. Assistant director and Monitoring
b. Assistant director research and statistics
c. Assistant director deployment and relocation
d. Assistant director human resources manager (HRM)
e. Assistant director finance and accounts
f. Assistant director SAEDCorps Assistant director community development service (CDS)
h. Assistant director CD and R
i. Assistant director CW and HS
j. CEO/Head of information communication technology (ICT)
k. Camp inspector reforms and gender desk
l. Head/chief public relation officer
m. Assistant chief store officer
n. Principal accountant (internal auditor)
o. Head legal unit
7. Camp Committee
There are some committees in the camp that ensure that everything goes on smoothly. They are headed by different persons.
a. Security
Headed by the Nigerian police force. They are responsible for the security in camp. They mount the gate, checkpoint checking movement in and out of the camp and control of visitors.
b. Civil Defense assist the police in carrying out their duty.
d. Man O’War
They organize corp members at venue of activities. They also keep a register of corp members as well as inculcate leadership citizenship training activities in corp members. Man O’War are usually assigned platoons. Three Man O’War members are posted to one platoon.
e. Red Cross
They organize lectures for cor
p members on health and first aid. They are always on standby at all activities in case of emergency.
There are other NYSC camp officials such as those in the kitchen, but the above listed ones are worth knowing.