:National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have appealed to the Federal Government to fulfill the promise of a N77,000 monthly allowance to ease their growing economic hardships.
The corps members voiced their concerns on Wednesday through social media, highlighting the stark difference between the government’s approval of a new minimum wage and the continued payment of the old N33,000 allowance.
Despite the Federal Government’s approval of a new minimum wage in July 2024, corps members are still receiving the outdated allowance, which they say is no longer sufficient due to escalating costs of transportation, food, and other daily expenses.
They expressed their frustrations, with many pointing out the impracticality of surviving on N33,000 amid soaring inflation and rising living costs.
“Three months after, the Federal Government still believes that N33k is enough for NYSC members to survive,” tweeted @NoorAjuwon.
“How can we even concentrate on our primary assignment with N33k in this current economic situation?” asked @Arbdoolbasid_Jr, highlighting the challenges of managing daily expenses.
The struggles are further detailed in tweets that recount high transportation costs and poor living conditions.
@Eze_na_ujari described spending N5,000 on transportation and an additional N2,000 on Community Development Service (CDS) contributions, leaving just N26,000 for the rest of the month.
@blazzin_225 painted a grim picture of the living conditions, calling them “suffering and wickedness” due to dilapidated hostels and inadequate amenities.
In one plea directed at President Bola Tinubu, a tweet read: “See us as your children too. We’re dying.”
The Federal Government approved the new minimum wage in April 2024 after the old wage structure expired, and the expectation is that this adjustment will be extended to corps members as well.
