Corps members serving in Oyo State have lamented the non-payment of their October allowance, saying the delay has subjected many of them to financial hardship, with some struggling to afford food, transportation, cooking gas and other basic necessities.
The affected corps members said they had expected the payment before the end of October, as their monthly allowance usually arrives around the 26th or 27th of each month.
They expressed frustration that while corps members in some states received their October allowance before the end of last month, others were paid on November 4, leaving Oyo State as the only state where members are yet to receive theirs.
In a message to corps members, the NYSC Oyo State Coordinator attributed the delay to a technical glitch in the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), the platform responsible for processing the payments.
The message, issued on behalf of the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General OO Nafiu, acknowledged the inconvenience and anxiety caused by the delay and assured corps members that relevant authorities were working to resolve the technical problem.
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The State Coordinator expressed optimism that all affected corps members would receive their October allowance before the end of this week.
However, all efforts to reach the Oyo State NYSC Coordinator for further clarification on the delay were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Speaking about the hardship, one of the affected corps members said she had been relying on financial assistance from her parents to survive, adding that she had not been able to purchase foodstuff since last month because of the unpaid allowance.
She also lamented that she had struggled to afford cooking gas, explaining that she visited several gas stations before eventually purchasing just one kilogramme because of her limited funds.
The corps member, who also has a son with a disability, said the situation had made it difficult to provide for her household, settle outstanding debts and meet other financial obligations she had expected to handle with the allowance.
Another corps member said the delay was affecting members beyond their personal financial difficulties, noting that some were already considering missing their Community Development Service (CDS) activities scheduled for Thursday because they could not afford transportation.
The corps members further disclosed that some of their colleagues were struggling to afford meals and other basic necessities, stressing that the monthly allowance remained an important source of support during their service year.
While the delay has continued to generate concerns among affected corps members, the NYSC management’s message has assured them that efforts are being intensified to resolve the GIFMIS technical glitch, with payment expected before the end of the week.
