Prominent Nigerian financial institution, Heritage Banking, has thrown its full weight behind the recently launched NYSC Hope Alive Initiative, a public private partnership (PPP) scheme that is designed to bring succour to corps members who suffer disabling injuries during their service to their fatherland.
The Bank, as a demonstration of its support for the programme, doled out the sum of N1.5 million each to nine NYSC members who became disabled during the 2013 service year.
Also, a total of 30 corps members yet to be employed in batches 2012, 2013 and 2014 have been offered automatic employment by the Bank.
MD/CEO, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, announced the gestures to the lucky ex-corps members during the combined 2012, 2013 and 2014 President’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Honours Award ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
The Bank’s boss observed that Heritage Bank’s gesture to the affected corps members was informed by its belief that the future wellbeing of the country would be better guaranteed if all well-meaning Nigerians and other stakeholders teamed up with the Federal Government to empower the youths to create wealth.
Sekibo also praised the NYSC for having the foresight and humanitarian spirit to set up the Hope Alive Initiative.
“Disabling injuries can have a lot of effect on the ambition of those who are unfortunate to suffer them but the society must have enough humanitarian and humane spirit to ameliorate those effects by seeing that special provision is made for the purpose of empowering such people to still pursue their dreams and achieve their goals in life.
“The future of our country’s wellbeing is the youths and we all owe it a sacred duty to empower them to pursue their dreams. The Hope Alive Initiative of the NYSC is a scheme that deserves the support of all,” he stated.
The nine disabled corps members that received cash gifts from the Bank were Susan Uwouku from Benue, Alade Bukola Olawaseun from Ekiti, Hunsu Oluwafemi Emmanuel from Lagos State, Igheghe Ijeoma from Delta State, and Akinrujomi Folarin from Ondo State.
Others were Nwagbara Eberechi from Rivers State, Kayode Funke, Samuel Nggada and Samuel Abigail from Oyo State.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who presided at the ceremony, said the Hope Alive Programme was very dear to him while commending the NYSC for the initiative that identified and recognized corps members, who were physically challenged due to injuries they sustained in the course of the National Service to their fatherland.
In his words, “The concern demonstrated by the NYSC in identifying and recommending some of them for appointment into the Federal Civil Service, while also assisting others financially, to enable them cater for their needs, is highly commendable. We must take care of the needy without hesitation’.
