NYSC orders four corps members to repeat service year

Akpan Umoh, Uyo

The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has directed that four corps members in the 2021 Batch A Stream 1 be sent to Akwa Ibom State to repeat their service year whenever they resurface for abscondment.

The State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Year (NYSC) Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, said this during the passing out ceremony of the corps members in Uyo on Thursday.

According to Ekwe, out of the 1, 285 corps members sent to the state, seven of them would have to face extended service from one week to four months for absenteeism among other offences. 

The state coordinator announced that during the service year one corps member lost his life due to ill health.

“While we celebrate with these patriots, it is regrettable to announce that in course of the service year, one corps member lost his life.

“Let me equally report that during the service year under review, four corps members absconded from service and have been recommended for an outright repeat of the service year, whenever they resurface.

”Similarly, seven corps members were found guilty of various degrees of misconduct, varying from unauthorised journeys to absenteeism and actions inconsistent with the NYSC Bye-Laws.

“They shall equally serve various degrees of extension ranging from seven days to four months. This is indeed a sure way of curbing indiscipline among the service corps,” Ekwe said.

Ekwe commended some of the corps members for exhibiting a very high sense of maturity and responsibility as they conducted themselves honourably and within the ambit of the law during the service year.

The state coordinator urged corps members to use the knowledge acquired from Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) to develop themselves and become better citizens.

“The knowledge so acquired should be deployed towards self-sustainability and wealth creation. Resist the allures to get rich quick,” she advised.

She appealed to Gov Udom Emmanuel to intervene in the difficulty encountered by corps members in accessing their state allowance.

In his remarks, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom assured the corps members that the difficulty encountered in their state allowance would address immediately.

Emmanuel, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Monday Uko, the state government has recently completed the construction of a model camp clinic and 200 capacity hostel for corps members.

He urged the corps members to leverage the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) to develop themselves to become self-reliant and employers of labour. 

“Our commitment to the cause of the NYSC scheme has remained unwavering. We have continued to give both financial and moral support towards the accomplishments of the scheme’s objectives.

“This gesture has been adequately reciprocated through the services of the corps members,” Emmanuel said.