Nasarawa State Government has admonished members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to brace up to the challenges of nation building and shun acts that could potray them in bad light.

The state deputy governor, Chief John Mike Abdul, who stood in for the state governor Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, made this remark at the closing ceremony of the NYSC 2008 batch ‘A’ (group II) orientation course, held at the Magaji Dan Yamusa permanent orientation camp, Keffi, Nasarawa State last week.

Chief Abdul advised the corps members to acept their posting to rural communities in good faith, urging to view their posting as an opportunity to serve the people.

He said the present administration in the state recognised the fundamental role played by the youth in the social and economic development of the nation, adding that “we have designed skills sensitization and acquisition programmes to ensure that our youths are gainfully employed”.

He said the vision of government was to create a pool of youths “who are able to positively contribute to our development agenda”, imploring them to “seek avenues and opportunities in which you can play a part in this regard for the benefit of your host communitiess and the state in general”.

In an address of welcome, Nasarawa State coordinator of the NYSC, Mr. Peter Ailola, said the corps members have been adequately oriented into the ideals of the scheme in readiness for their one year mandatory service in the state.

He said that the corpers were posted to their places of primary assignments based on their areas of specialisation, national interest and state needs.

He expressed gratitude to the state government for the wonderful gesture it has been showing towards the welfare of corps members, promising that the corpers would contribute their quota to the development of the state.

A total of 1,200 corps members took part in the orientation exercise.