Hardship: NYSC members cry out after receiving N33,000 alert as October allowance
By Uzoma Chukwudi
Despite economic hardship and promise of a new enhanced allowance, the Federal Government still paid N33,000 to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members for October.
NYSC members have been celebrating the news that from July 2024, the federal government would pay them N77,000 as their new allowance to reflect the new minimum wage which payment was expected to commence this October. But when the October alert came, the serving NYSC members got N33,000 which they say is too meagre to cover transportation expenses for a month not to talk of their daily needs.
On social media, Netizen Corp members expressed their anger, lamenting the situation they said is depressing.
An X user@prinx_ux said: “The cost of living for NYSC corp members is very high, minimum wage is 70k yet the Federal Government and NYSC is still paying us 33k. How on earth are they expecting us to survive in this hard country? Transportation is high, food is expensive. This doesn’t make sense.”
Another user @Rayifesman101 added: “Nigeria makes me sick. Why are you paying me 33k as NYSC allowance? What happened to the promised minimum wage?”
@centralZee_ also said: “Apparently, I just spent the last 3k on NYSC’s 33k. Guess what? The next time I’m receiving allowee is probably this time next month. Do not register for NYSC if you do not have a side business. A word is enough for the wise.”
User @tao_kongila said: “I have a fundamental question: If our allowee has not been increased, why did the confused NYSC announce that the allowee has been increased? This is the second month after the announcement, and they still pay us 33k.”
@EeshaRaji added: “I love working diligently as it should be, but taking my hard earned money to top the NYSC allowance! No! @officialBAT can we Corpers start skipping work now? We can’t exhaust the 33k allowance given to us and still spend from our personal pockets.”