FG Should Cancel Access Bank”— NYSC Members Complain Over Allowance Delay

By Boluwatife Adedokun

Some serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have raised concerns over the delay in payment of their monthly allowance by Access Bank. The corps members are now calling on the Federal Government to stop the bank from handling NYSC payments in the future.

The complaints began after a corps member, Mahmud Muhammad Bashir, posted a warning on social media, advising prospective corps members to avoid opening accounts with Access Bank during the orientation camp.

“When you get to camp, Access Bank might be the first to show up and offer to open accounts for you. For your peace of mind, ignore them,” Bashir wrote. He explained that his own batch experienced a 60-day gap between their first and second allowance payments, causing a lot of stress and disappointment.

Many other corps members quickly responded, sharing similar experiences. Happiness W. Udoh said her entire platoon was asked to open Access Bank accounts during camp, but now she regrets the decision. “We did not have a choice. Now I’m regretting it,” she said.

Another corps member, Magdalene Cyprian Agber, described how Access Bank is always the first to visit orientation camps but ends up delaying payments. “They always come to camp first but are the last when it comes to payment. Avoid Access Bank,” she said.

Some corps members, like Chinwedu Esochagi, claimed they had not received any allowance from Access Bank long after other banks had paid. “Till now, I have not seen my allowance,” he complained.

For many corps members, the monthly N77,000 allowance is very important for their daily needs. Delays in payment cause serious problems, as most of them rely on the money for transport, feeding, and other basic expenses during their service year.

Although the NYSC management has not issued an official statement on the matter, corps members are asking the Federal Government to look into the issue and ensure such delays do not happen again. Some are even calling for Access Bank to be removed from handling NYSC allowances altogether.

“We want the government to cancel Access Bank from NYSC payments. We are tired of suffering every month because of late payment,” one corps member said.

For now, prospective corps members are being advised to ask questions and consider other banks when opening accounts during the orientation course.