Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, the new Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, says he is ready to sacrifice his life to ensure that no corps member dies during the service year.

Ibrahim said this on Wednesday during a visit to the staff and corps members at the NYSC Zonal Office in Akure.

The DG, who said he was happy to be in the state, told corps members to keep themselves abreast of what was happening in their environment and be security conscious.

Ibrahim urged the corps members to take the opportunity of the entrepreneurial programmes put in place by the scheme rather than embarking on frivolous travels.

“I will prefer to die than losing a corps member. Keep yourself abreast of what is happening in your country, and make a difference as a corps member.

“I want to rejig our skills acquisition programme. If you take it seriously, we have partners that are ready to lend you money. I am very passionate about the scheme and my corps members.

“I came for a youth programme, so I decided to visit you my ‘children’. What will you be remembered for when you leave this place? Try as much as possible to keep your records clean,” he said.

Ibrahim, on the sidelines of the event, described his visit as unofficial, saying, he would look for a way by which the scheme would not depend solely on government funds.

Earlier, Mrs Grace Akpabio, the state Coordinator of NYSC, described the visit of the DG as homecoming.

Akpabio also said the Ondo State Government had been helping to improve the scheme in the state, “especially with the building of perimeter fence at the Ikare Akoko Permanent Orientation Camp.”

She used the visit to reel out some of the achievements to the DG, especially the reactivation of farm in Ita Ogbolu to teach interested corps members how to farm.

The 18th DG of the scheme assumed duty on May 17.