Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Maj. Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, has said that the corps has introduced a biometric clearance system to eradicate corruption and compromise by officials and corps members.

Maj. Gen. Suleiman Kazaure Photo — Maj. Gen. Suleiman Kazaure

The DG disclosed this on Monday during a leadership and anti-corruption sensitisation workshop in Abuja, with the aim to raise officials that will imbibe good leadership qualities and bring a culture of transparency and accountability.

He stated that the scheme had certified a strict compliance with the government policies on the Treasury Single Account, the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System and the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System.

The DG also disclosed that the scheme is working towards training youths that would imbibe the virtues of hard work, honesty, integrity and patriotic service.

Kazaure stated that the scheme was driven by zero tolerance for corruption, and has in recent years, evolved an internal mechanism for promoting transparency in the conduct of operations.

“The introduction of biometric clearance system for corps members has virtually eliminated all chances of compromise by officials, as well as absenteeism and abscondence by corps members.

“The biometrics now ensures that only deserving corps members are paid the monthly and other statutory allowances.

“Registration of prospective corps members by proxy at our orientation camps is now gone as a result of the Information and Communications Technology-driven initiative,” he said.

The DG added that the scheme had also introduced an application that allowed registrars of tertiary institutions to vet the data uploaded by student affairs officers, thereby eliminating sharp practices.