The National Youth Service Corps in Kebbi State has called on the state government to relocate the orientation camp to Birnin Kebbi metropolis, citing security concerns that have made the current temporary facility in Bausara town unsafe for corps members.

The State Coordinator, Bala Dabo Kagarko, appealed during an interaction with journalists at the Bausara temporary orientation camp in the Jega Local Government Area, where he outlined a range of challenges threatening the scheme's effectiveness in the state.

Dabo Kagarko explained that the camp had previously been moved from Dakingari in the Suru Local Government Area following security concerns in that area, and that security agencies had since recommended a further relocation to the state capital.

"Of recent, the NYSC requested to relocate this camp to Birnin Kebbi metropolis for the safety of the corps members. This area is on the outskirts of the town, and the report from the security agencies was that this place is exposed and the community harbouring the camp cannot give adequate security for the camp, especially with the trend of the security issues going on now," he stated.

The coordinator also disclosed that three local government areas, Arewa, Augie and Sakaba, had been ruled out for corps member postings due to security challenges. He warned that even the remaining local government areas were not receiving enough corps members to meet demand.

Dabo Kagarko raised alarm over a sharp decline in postings to the state, attributing it to poor welfare conditions. Kebbi, he noted, currently receives 492 corps members, down from figures that previously exceeded 1,000.

"Some states are paying N50,000, some N30,000, while Kebbi is paying N2,000. Even that N2,000 is not paid regularly. If they pay this month, they will not pay until after three months," he disclosed.

He also pointed to the absence of corps lodges and poor camp facilities as major deterrents, noting that states with better infrastructure consistently attract higher postings. He referenced lodge construction by a Kaduna community member and the Deputy Governor of Gombe State as examples of what Kebbi needed to replicate.

The coordinator appealed to the state government and private individuals to invest in facilities and welfare to reverse the decline and protect the scheme's contributions to education, healthcare and community development across Kebbi.