‘Go to Your Parents, Not Boyfriends’ – NYSC Coordinator Advises Female Corps Members

The Bauchi State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Rifkatu Yakubu, dropped some serious and much-needed advice for our young queens who just wrapped up their NYSC journey.

During the certificate distribution ceremony for the 2024 Batch ‘A’ Stream II corps members, Mama Yakubu (as some fondly call her) told the ladies to do one thing after collecting their discharge certificates: go home to their parents, not their boyfriends! Yup, she said it loud and clear.

She said, and I quote (well, sort of), “Ladies, don’t leave this orientation ground and start heading straight to your boyfriend’s house. That man is not your family. You’ve just served your country, now go home and celebrate with the people who raised you.”

Honestly, she made a valid point. It’s easy to get carried away after NYSC, thinking it’s time to “soft life” and move in with bae. But this is a big moment, and our parents deserve to celebrate us first. They stood by you through school and service year, and now, they need to see you shine.

But that’s not all she said. Mrs. Yakubu went further to drop some real talk about what comes next after NYSC. She encouraged all corps members, especially the ladies, to make good use of the skills they learned during the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program. She added that even if you didn’t take SAED seriously before, now is the perfect time to learn a skill and start something fresh.

She also gave a solid reminder: stay away from internet fraud (Yahoo Yahoo), kidnapping, ritual activities, and all those shortcuts to fast money. According to her, NYSC didn’t groom you to become a societal problem but to be a change-maker and a responsible citizen.

And let’s not forget she told everyone to double-check their certificates before laminating them. Nobody wants to realize there’s a spelling error when it’s too late!

So you know, 1,652 corps members passed out in Bauchi State this year, that’s 1,118 guys and 534 ladies stepping out into the real world.

Look, after NYSC, the world is literally yours to take over. But like Mama Yakubu said, start by going back home, hug your parents, celebrate with them, and map out your next big move. Your boyfriend can wait, and your parents deserve that first victory dance.

So, to all my fresh ex-Corps members, congratulations! Stay safe, stay smart, and always remember: Your roots come first before romance.