Joseph Bakare
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has congratulated the founder of the 51 year old Scheme, General Dr Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) GCFR as he turns 90 years on 19th of October, 2024.
The Director General (DG) of the NYSC, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, who visited the nonagenarian Statesman in his house in Abuja, expressed appreciation to God for sparing General Gowon’s life over the years.
General Ahmed, who was accompanied by members of the NYSC Top Management and some Corps Members said the visit was to wish the former Head of State a happy birthday.
The Director General presented the celebrant with a life-size birthday card on behalf of the entire Staff and Corps Members nationwide.
Responding, General Gowon expressed gratitude to God for sparing his life thus far, and, appreciation to Nigerians for their goodwill towards him.
He also thanked the Director General and the entire NYSC family for the goodwill visit.
He further expressed appreciation for the dogged commitment shown by successive batches of Nigerian graduate youths for ensuring that the Scheme lived up to the ideals of nation building, unity, and integration.
Going down memory lane, General Gowon recalled the initial resistance from the youth at the inception of the NYSC. He noted that despite the initial misgivings, the Scheme had grown to become a huge success story with immense contributions to national development.
The DG along with his team, spontaneously sang the happy birthday song for the celebrating nonagenarian.