NYSC Clarifies Corps Members’ Allowance Adjustments Will Be Decided by Federal Government Amidst Wage Increase Speculations
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has stated that any adjustment to the allowance for corps members, in response to the new minimum wage of N70,000 for workers, will be decided by the Federal Government. Caroline Embu, the acting Director of the NYSC’s Information and Public Relations unit, confirmed this information in a statement on Tuesday.
On July 29, 2024, President Tinubu signed the new minimum wage bill of N70,000 into law after extensive negotiations with organized labor leaders. In the wake of this increase, there have been widespread speculations regarding a possible rise in allowances for corps members. Some reports have even suggested that individuals were instructed to increase their bank account limits in anticipation of receiving more than N50,000. However, the NYSC has clarified that any changes to corps members’ allowances will be determined by the Federal Government.
The alleged message circulated among corps members stated: “Many corps members’ camp accounts have a limit of N50,000. Therefore, all corps members are advised to visit their banks to ensure their accounts can accommodate or receive amounts greater than N70,000.”
The NYSC has officially debunked the circulating message about corps members needing to upgrade their bank accounts to handle payments above N50,000. The organization stated that the claims are “absolutely false” and clarified that there is no directive related to the N70,000 minimum wage affecting corps members’ accounts. The NYSC emphasized that this misinformation is completely untrue.
A statement from Eddy Megwa, the former Director of Information and Public Relations, emphasized that the NYSC has not received any instructions from the relevant government sectors responsible for wage matters, making it impossible for the organization to provide any updates on this issue.
When questioned on Tuesday about potential negotiations for a new corps members’ pay rate, the acting spokesperson reaffirmed that any review of allowances falls under the Federal Government’s jurisdiction. The spokesperson confirmed that there are currently no changes to the existing corps members’ allowances.
The acting spokesperson stated, “I can’t specify the exact amount the Federal Government will decide to pay corps members, as this decision rests solely with the Federal Government and not with the NYSC. However, I can confirm that, as the Director-General mentioned, corps members are anticipated to receive an increase in their allowance following the rise in the minimum wage.”
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