‘Four Youth Corpers Died In Rivers’ …As 47 Bag Awards, 17 Sanctioned

The Rivers State Directorate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has confirmed the death of four Batch B corps members in the state.

The state co-ordinator of the agency, Mrs Josephine Okuonghae, who said this during the passing out parade of the  2012 Batch B corps members yesterday in Port Harcourt, also said that 17 of the corps members had been sanctioned for various offences, and therefore, were not among those that participated in the ceremony.

Mrs Okuonghae urged the outgoing corps members to realise that the era of sit-tight-for-manna-to-fall from above” was no longer feasible, stressing that it behoved them to put in practice the various entrepreneurial skills imparted to them during the service years.

The NYSC co-ordinator also commended the state Governor, Rt Hon Chibuke Amaechi for his assistance to the schemes, especially the on-going renovation of facilities at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Nonwa-Tail Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The state Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi represented by the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Joe Poroma, urged the outgoing corps members to let the  vision of the founding fathers guide them in their daily activities.

The governor also urged them to take advantage of the various schemes initiated by the  Federal Government such as National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Millennium Development Goals and NYSC war against poverty to improve their economic status.

He also said that the ongoing restructuring of the schemes was aimed at rendering it even more  pivotal to the realisation of the national transformation  effort.

Earlier, the chairman, Governing Board, Mr George Feyii, who is also the Secretary to the State Government, urged them to put the experiences gathered in their various places of primary assignment into national development.

Mr Feyii, who was represented by Mr S. Okari also charged them to see themselves as agents of national development.

Highpoints of the event was the presentation of state honour award to seven corps members, while six bagged the chairman’s award for their outstanding performance.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 47 of the Batch ‘B’ corps members in Rivers, Kwara, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Nasarawa states yesterday received states’ honour awards for their outstanding performance.

Our correspondent  reports that 13 corps members were conferred with the various awards for their outstanding performance in Rivers, 11 in Kwara, 10 in Oyo, 10 in Osun and 3 in Oyo states.

However, our correspondent  reports that four corps members died during the service year in Rivers and two in Kwara State.

Speaking during the passing-out ceremony of the 2012/2013 Batch ‘B’ corps members in Port Harcourt, Governor Chibuike Amaechi lauded the corps members for their contributions to nation building.

Amaechi urged them to get more involved in the task of building a united, peaceful and egalitarian Nigerian society.

In Ilorin, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State expressed dismay that the whereabouts of three corps members were yet to be ascertained and charged other members to be security conscious.

He warned them never to associate with bad company while on national assignment and not to travel without prior permission of the authority.

Ahmed, who was represented by the state Head of Service, Alhaji Dabarako Mohammed, also commiserated with the families of the two departed corps members.

Speaking with newsmen on the missing corps members, the state Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Ngozi Ezekwe, explained that the three corps members left their places of primary assignments without permissions.

She said that the families of the missing corps members had been contacted while security agencies were carrying on investigations to unravel the mystery behind the missing corps members.

In Ibadan, no fewer than 23 out of the 4, 173 outgoing 2012 Batch B NYSC  members in Oyo State were to be sanctioned for various offences during the service year.

The Coordinator, NYSC, Oyo State, Mr Olanipekun Alao, said  at the passing-out parade that erring members would be  sanctioned with extension of service or outright repeat of service year.

He said that some of the corps members performed much better, adding that they had carved a niche for themselves as meritorious young men and women.

“The outgoing corps members have made valuable contributions to the development of the state in Education, Healthcare Delivery, Social Services and Community Development.

“They trained women and the youth in various skills and facilitated rural electrification,’’ Alao said.

He appealed to the state government to accelerate the completion of the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp at Iseyin to alleviate the sufferings at the present temporary camp.

Alao also appealed to the state government for an upward review of the state allowances paid to the NYSC members from N4, 000 to an amount that would reflect the market situation.

In his remarks, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State commended the NYSC members for their immense contribution to the socioeconomic development of the state.

Ajimobi, who was represented by Alhaji Akin Olajide, the Secretary to the State Government urged the NYSC members to engage their time and mind in creative ventures

In Ondo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko restated government’s commitment to supporting NYSC programme in the state.

Mimiko, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Kola Ademujimi, noted that the scheme had impacted positively on some areas, as part of the vision of its founding fathers.

He listed the areas as supervision of electoral processes nationwide, campaign against HIV/AIDS pandemic, propagating government policies such as NEMA, EFCC, ICPC, and the Road Safety.

“The Ondo state government remains committed to the success of the scheme in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, State Coordinator of the NYSC, Isiaka Kuoye,  said that corps members played important role in sustaining the educational sector in the state.

Kuoye noted that a total of 19 corps members who were found wanting during the course of service year would have their service extended from 30 days and above

He said that 13 corps members would repeat the service year for absconding.

In Ede (Osun) Governor Rauf Aregesola appreciated the corps members for their community development projects.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Special Duties, Hon. Stephen Kola-Balogun presented the awards to the outstanding corps members at their passing out ceremony in Ede.

The governor said that qualities of patriotism and hard work will continue to be rewarded.

In her speech, the state coordinator of NYSC, Mrs Mojibola Eboagwu said that the scheme was passing out 3, 797 corps members, who had served in different communities in the state over the past one year.

Eboagwu added that in the area of community development, the out-going corps members had embarked on various projects and activities aimed at improving the standard of living of their host communities.

She said that in line with the NYSC Laws, nine corps members and 21 others who absented and absconded from service would be given extension of service or outright repetition of the service.

In Lafia, some of the corps members expressed dismay over non-payment of allowances owed to some of their colleagues.

Some of the outgoing corps members spoke their minds at the Lafia Local Government Secretariat, where they came to receive their NYSC certificates.

He said they were being owed almost 10 months allowances by the state government.

Elisha Felix, a corps member in Lafia said that he wondered why people would work and not receive remuneration for their efforts.

“This non-payment of allowances was experienced by the last batch. It has happened again and I am not really happy about it, I must say it’s so unfair,” Felix said.

Godwin Godswill, another outgoing batch ‘B’ corps said, “I feel bad about it”.

Miss Chinyere Nwosu also supported the action of her colleagues, over that staged a protest in Keffi for the non-payment of allowances last Wednesday.

“I support what our members did in Keffi. I am not happy because the state government supposed to pay them.”

Raheem Olawale also expressed shock over the non-payment of allowances of his colleagues by the state government.

“I have never witnessed what I came across in Lafia. I feel bad about the whole issue,” he said.

However, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Sports and Youth development, Mr Angama Weibey reassured the outgoing corps members that all outstanding allowances would be paid “very soon’’.

The commissioner added that Governor Umaru Al-Makura had ordered that all allowances for Batch B be paid promptly.

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson (left), with President, Nigeria BarAssociation, Mr Okey Wali (SAN), at the National Executive Council meeting of the association in Yenagoa, yesterday.