PCMs Cry Out After Unexpected Dismissal from NYSC Orientation Camp

• NYSC Official States: “No Registration Once the Portal Closes”

Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) across various states have taken to social media to express their frustration after being sent home shortly after arriving at their designated orientation camps.

The NYSC had mobilized Batch B Stream 2 PCMs for the 2024 service year, with the orientation program starting on August 24, 2024, and the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for August 30, 2024.

Reports indicate that the Batch B Stream 2 call-up letters were released on August 26, 2024. However, some PCMs who did not receive their call-up letters were reassigned to Batch C, while those initially posted to Batch B Stream 1 but failed to attend saw no updates on their dashboard.

According to Vanguard, on the night of August 28, 2024—just two days after the call-up letters were issued—NYSC released new call-up letters for those shifted to Batch C, instructing them to report to orientation camps on the same date as the previous call-up letters.

In a TikTok video shared by a user with the handle @Uwabebe, a PCM named Uwa reported being sent home just a day after arriving at the camp. “My name is Uwa, and I was part of Batch B Stream 2. We are those who were shifted to Batch C and later received new call-up letters. I am reporting from Niger State. This morning, we were told to return home. Some of us don’t have transport fare. Everyone should help us tag NYSC. Yesterday, we were instructed to come back by 5:30 a.m. for camp registration. However, upon arrival, we were told to go home. I came from Edo State to Niger, spending more than N40,000, only to be sent back,” she lamented.

In another video, PCMs at the Iseyin camp in Oyo State were seen with their luggage, visibly upset about the situation. A source, who identified himself as Chukudi, said, “We received our letters late. I managed to register on time because I am close to Oyo State, where I was deployed. But my friends are stranded.”

When contacted, NYSC’s Acting Director of Public Relations, Carol Embu, clarified that no PCM can be allowed to register once the portal has closed. “Due to the delay in the second release of call-up letters, the portal was extended to Thursday night, but it cannot be reopened,” she stated.

However, the situation has sparked outrage on social media, with many users calling for the abolition of the NYSC scheme. One user, @miztasmart, questioned the program’s relevance, saying, “What is even the benefit of this so-called NYSC?” Many others echoed concerns over the financial and emotional toll on PCMs who were sent home after spending significant amounts of money to travel to the camps.