NYSC Organizes Workshop to Strengthen Corps Employers in Taraba

By Godwin Agia, Jalingo 

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has on Thursday organised a workshop to strengthen partnerships between the scheme and corps members' employers in Taraba State.

The workshop, which took place at the Taraba Polytechnic in Jalingo, brings together stakeholders to discuss challenges and successes and aims to enhance the effectiveness of the scheme.

Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, emphasised the importance of collaboration between the scheme, corps members, and employers in achieving the scheme's objectives, noting that the workshop's key objectives include identifying areas for improvement, addressing challenges, and developing strategies for effective service delivery

Represented by the Deputy Director, North East Area Office II, Gabriel Watsu, has described the NYSC and Corps Employers' Workshop as a key event in nation building. 

"You must hammer out more effective formats of communication among our organisations and come up with implementable solutions to the numerous problems that challenge corps administration and proffer solutions.

"From addressing grey areas to enhancing healthy relationships between our various organisations, the workshops always produce ideas and recommendations that are factored into the operations of the Scheme.

"I am convinced that the 2025 workshop would not be any different," said the DG

Earlier, the Taraba State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Ella Aji Williams, noted that the NYSC is dedicated to fostering mutual growth and development, adding that it is through meaningful partnerships with corps members’ employers that the scheme could truly maximise these endeavours.

"Strengthening our partnership is not merely a desirable goal but a necessity for fostering empowerment, innovation, and social responsibility.

"Throughout this workshop, we will engage in critical discussions, share experiences, and explore best practices that will help us strengthen our bonds and enhance the effectiveness of the NYSC in serving both corps members and the labour market," he said.

Don Tasks FG to Reconstruct Collapse Namnai Bridge in Taraba.

By Godwin Agia, Jalingo 

Professor John Ajai of Taraba State University, Jalingo, wrote an open letter to the Federal Government on Wednesday, reminding them of the collapsed Namnai Bridge on the Jalingo to Wukari road. 

Ajai noted that the bridge, which connects Benue, Adamawa and other northern States, has been in a state of disrepair for over a year, causing significant economic and social impacts on the region.

In his letter, Professor Ajai shared his personal experience of crossing the collapsed section of the bridge using a ferry. He described the experience as frightening and dangerous, with the ferry operator's miscalculation causing the boat's propeller to get stuck in the sand.

Professor Ajai called on the Federal Government to treat the reconstruction of the Namnai Bridge as an emergency. He urged the government to mobilise necessary resources, deploy qualified contractors, and reopen the vital corridor to restore safe and reliable movement across the region.

"It has been exactly one year since the Namnai Bridge on the Jalingo to Wukari road collapsed. This bridge is located in Taraba State and sits on a major federal route that connects Benue and Adamawa States. More broadly, it links the North Central region to the North East and the North West. Despite its strategic importance as a Trunk federal road, there has been no meaningful federal effort to repair or reconstruct the bridge.

"The consequences of this inaction are not theoretical. I am speaking from direct personal experience. Last week, I had to travel along this route and cross the collapsed section using a ferry. What should have been a routine crossing quickly turned into a frightening and dangerous episode. 

"The ferry operator miscalculated. The boat’s propeller got stuck in the sand. We could not berth. Passengers had to be evacuated under tense and unsafe conditions. The buses on board remained stranded for more than thirty minutes. It was a deeply unsettling experience. I thank God that no lives were lost that day, but that was due to divine mercy, not because proper safety measures were in place.

"This situation is more than an inconvenience. It is a daily source of risk and hardship for thousands of commuters, traders, students, and families. With the Namnai Bridge still out of service, people are forced to make dangerous river crossings just to continue their journeys. The economic impact is serious. The human cost is even more alarming.

"It is deeply concerning that the Federal Government has allowed such an important piece of infrastructure to remain in this condition for over twelve months. The Namnai Bridge is not a local road. It is a federal responsibility. 

The Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Road Maintenance Agency are fully aware that this is a Trunk A route. Yet nothing concrete has been done to restore it. No contractors have been mobilised. No timelines have been communicated. No progress has been made.

"I am also using this opportunity to appeal to the elected representatives from Taraba State in the National Assembly. You may not be directly responsible for the execution of federal works, but you are in a position to raise this issue forcefully. Your voices matter. Your silence also speaks volumes," he said.