Abakaliki, Ebonyi State – More than 60 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State are expressing frustration over the non-payment of their August allowance.
After over three months without payment, these corps members, many of whom have already completed their national service, are calling for urgent intervention from NYSC authorities.
A group of 68 corps members, under a WhatsApp group titled “August Unpaid Allowance,” highlighted that more than 100 corps members in total have been affected by the delay.
According to one corps member who spoke with SaharaReporters, they had complied with all directives from Mrs. Oladeindi Foluke, the NYSC State Coordinator, yet their allowances remain unpaid.
The delayed allowance payment has sparked accusations between the corps members and the NYSC management.
NYSC officials in Ebonyi stated that the corps members who missed payment had failed to complete the required biometric clearance on time, having travelled without formal authorisation.
Conversely, the corps members claim that their clearance was done automatically by the NYSC headquarters in Abuja due to security concerns in the region.
“We did everything as instructed, even additional documentation, yet we have not received our allowance,” said one corps member.
Another explained that they were told to submit their clearance forms and ID copies, yet, despite completing these steps, payment has still not been issued.
The State Coordinator, Mrs Foluke, confirmed the delay, attributing it to logistical issues and disruptions from regional security challenges, which had hindered the routine clearance process.
She added that due to system issues, the Abakaliki NYSC office resorted to a manual clearance process, causing delays for corps members who could not meet the required deadlines.
To address the issue, the NYSC state coordinator recently called a meeting, instructing affected corps members to submit a written application along with their August bank statements.
Despite complying with these requests, corps members claim that no resolution has been reached, with many still awaiting payment and struggling financially.
“We are simply asking for what is owed to us,” stated one former corps member who completed his service on October 31.
With repeated follow-ups and unclear responses from NYSC officials, the corps members are left in limbo, uncertain when—or if—their outstanding allowances will be disbursed.
Efforts to reach the NYSC State Coordinator in Ebonyi for further comments were unsuccessful.
