Against several reports that the monthly allowance for members of the National Youth Services Corps (NYSC) has been increased to ₦49, 800, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) said it has not received any proposal for the said increment.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige who made this confirmation to newsmen while speaking in Obosi, Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State, also debunked the reports in the dailies and online news about the increase in NYSC stipends.

Ngige said the issue of increase in NYSC stipend could only be possible when the new minimum wage has been decided as according to him, the coppers’ stipend was always in the same sliding scale with the national minimum wage but with a top-up.

Ngige said: “What I said is that we’ve not concluded because no recommendation has come to the Federal Executive Council. As a matter of fact, some ministries, Youth and Sports, myself, Women Affairs and Budget and Planning have been asked to make our input, and the allowances of the NYSC persons like I explained is on sliding scale.

“The same sliding scale with the national minimum wage except that it is a top up, what is called top up on the national minimum wage to make for special transport allowance for members of the NYSC.

“That is why today the national minimum wage is ₦18, 000, and the top up for NYSC members is about ₦1, 500 making it ₦19, 500.

“This is the allowance the Federal government will give to them. Areas or persons and bodies, agencies where they do their primary assignments can also give them what they call special allowances and that is irrespective of this monthly stipend from federal government.

“Their employers, primary assignment can and they have been doing so, they give them another top-up so that in some establishments you see them paying extra ₦10, 000 to the NYSC persons. Some are as generous as even giving ₦20, 000, about the same thing that they earn.

“For now there is no figure before us and as a matter of fact the last Federal Executive Council had mandated the Minister of Youth to liaise with the Director General of the NYSC so that he can be brought on board for us to work as a team.”

On the new national minimum wage, the minister said it still had a long way to go as many bodies that needed to contribute to it have not done so but assured that work was in progress on the issue.