Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has urged members of the National Youth Service Corps deployed to the state to resist unnecessary relocation requests and contribute to its development.
Yahaya said Gombe needed the corps members’ knowledge, skills and expertise to strengthen development across various sectors, including education and healthcare.
The governor made the appeal on Friday through the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Barrister Yusuf Abdullahi-Waziri, during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2026 Batch C, Stream II corps members at the NYSC temporary orientation camp in Amada, Gombe State.
He urged the corps members to regard their deployment to Gombe as an opportunity to make meaningful contributions to their host communities rather than seek redeployment without compelling reasons.
“Gombe State needs your services, talent, knowledge, and expertise. Our state continues to pursue development across various sectors, and I believe your contribution can make a meaningful difference in our communities, schools, healthcare facilities and other establishments where you will be deployed,” he said.
Yahaya assured the corps members of their safety and welfare, saying the state government had taken necessary measures in collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders to provide a conducive environment throughout their orientation and service year.
He said the NYSC programme remained an important platform for promoting national unity, integration and reconciliation by bringing young Nigerians from diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds together.
The governor urged the corps members to uphold discipline, integrity and respect for constituted authority, while participating actively in the orientation activities.
He also pledged the state government’s continued collaboration with NYSC management to ensure that the welfare of corps members received adequate attention.
Earlier, the Gombe State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Regina Eke, disclosed that 1,201 corps members, comprising 686 males and 515 females, had registered for the orientation exercise, while registration for others was ongoing.
Eke, who said she assumed office as the 19th NYSC Chief Executive Officer in Gombe State a week earlier, described the state as peaceful and hospitable.
She assured the corps members that they would have a memorable service year, adding, “You will not need to go on relocation, except on health grounds, as you will have the best of your time here in Gombe State.”
The coordinator appealed to the state government to increase its subvention to the NYSC and augment feeding arrangements for corps members during orientation.
She also called for sustained intervention to ensure adequate welfare at their respective places of primary assignment, particularly the payment of monthly stipends.
Eke expressed appreciation to the Yahaya administration for constructing a permanent orientation camp, saying the agency hoped the ongoing exercise would be its last at the temporary facility.
The 1,201 corps members were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Gombe State, Justice Halima Mohammed, represented by Justice Suleiman Abubakar.
The governor subsequently declared the 2026 Batch C, Stream II orientation course open.