Olufunke Aladejare
The Federal Government of Nigeria has awarded Borno Ex-Corps Member, Yakubu Aruwan with scholarship and automatic employment into the Federal Civil Service, in recognition of his outstanding and meritorious performance to humanity during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
Yakubu, with state code BO/23B/1263, emerged as one of the 210 awardees of the NYSC 2020-2023 combined Presidential award which took place at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu also awarded Yakubu with a cash prize of N250,000, Scholarship from PGD up to PhD, a gold Medal and a Certificate of honour signed by the President himself.
The President, represented by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, commended Yakubu and other awardees for their discipline, selflessness, commitment, patriotism, teamwork and integrity.
Yakubu, who hailed from Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna state, gained admission into the Federal University, Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State in 2018 and obtained B.Sc., Geology in the year, 2023.
Upon graduation, Yakubu was mobilised and deployed to Borno State for the compulsory one-year national service. Without hesitations, he reported at the Mustapha Umar El-Kanemi Arabic Teachers College, Maiduguri on 18 August, 2023 for orientation course.
Yakubu immediately integrated himself into the new environment and participated enthusiastically in drills, Man “O” War, lectures, SAED programme, sanitation exercise, cooking competition, sports, dance and drama, among others. Leveraging his leadership skill and ingenuity, he mobilised and motivated his platoon in inter-platoon football competition to emerge 1″position.
His leadership prowess, commitment and dedication caught the attention of Management to appoint him as one of the Corps Camp Directors.At the end of the orientation course, Yakubu was posted to Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency for his primary assignment.
He served as a Field Officer that engaged in drilling of boreholes within Maiduguri metropolis and its environs.At his place of primary assignment, he exemplified everything that embodied selflessness, devotion to work, punctuality, humility and level-headedness which endeared him to Management and staff of the organisation.
He was also a member of NYSC Band which performed at the Nigerian Army Remembrance Day in Maimalori Cantonment.Yakubu mobilised resources and materials with the help of numerous public-spirited individuals in the community to carry out the sone projects.
These projects included: Teaching of students of Mustapha El-kanemi Arabic Teachers College, Maiduguri on the importance of taking up careers in Music as a source of livelihood; Sensitisation of a wide range of institutions including Special School for the Blind and Deaf; Federal Government College, and 240 students of Foundation Private School, all in Maiduguri on personal hygiene practices; Deworming of children at Wulari IDP camp; d) Donation of 100 pairs of rubber shoes and distribution of used clothes to 100 children in IDP camps and donation of sanitary pads; and Donation of three (3) hand-washing stands, three (3) cartoons of detergent and two (2) cartons of bar soap and disinfectant to 425 students.
