Following the outcry against the announcement of the 4,000 call up letter fee by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), THE House of Representatives, yesterday, began a probe into the basis for the fee.
The House, based on the allegation, urged NYSC to suspend forthwith the policy requiring prospective NYSC members to pay the amount with effect from 2015 before accessing their call-up letters.
Hassan Saleh (PDP, Benue), who sponsored the motion, expressed concern over “recent advertorials in some national newspapers that with effect from 2015, corps members will be required to register online with a fee of N4,000 to be able to access their call-up letters as an alternative to going to their various schools to collect the letters.”
“As laudable as the idea of sending call-up letters through the internet may be, the decision requiring fresh graduates to cough out N4,000 to access letters appears insensitive and exploitative.”
However, just as the presiding officer, Emeka Ihedioha was about calling for voice vote on the matter, Uzo Azubuike (PDP, Abia), came up with a Point of Order, saying the Public Petitions Committee, which he chairs, was already on the matter. After this observation, Ihedioha called on the Chairman, Rules and Business Committee, Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba) to guide the House. He advised that the motion be withdrawn to allow the committee continue its investigation and deliberations into the matter.
Ihedioha ruled that Committee on Youth Development and the sponsor of the motion be invited to be part of the panel that will conduct a session on the matter.
