Host Community in Cross River Threaten to Disrupt NYSC Orientation

by crossriverwatch admin

Director General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Nnamdi Okorie-Affia, Inspecting a Guard of Honor by Corp Members — Director General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Nnamdi Okorie-Affia, Inspecting a Guard
of Honor by Corp Members

Ogada Community, host of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Permanent Orientation Camp, Obubra in Cross River State has demanded a quota of employment for its youths before the next orientation exercise to avoid a face-off with the authorities during the program.

Mr. Ebenezer Obase and Monday Irek, the Chairman and Secretary of the Ogada Youths Association told CrossRiverWatch in Calabar on Tuesday that in the past twenty one years, the NYSC has been operating an orientation camp in the community’s land without any compensation in terms of employment or citing of projects that would benefit the people.

“We wish to categorically state that for the past 21 years of our existence in Ogada, Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State, we the members of the host community have nothing to show in terms of employment as we cannot boast of a single permanent staff in the organization or amenity”.

The Youth Leaders who said they have the mandate of the entire community declared that several letters have been written to the NYSC in Abuja demanding for quota of employment for their youths but all such letters have fallen on deaf ears.

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“It would be recalled that the youths of Ogada in February 2012 barricaded the road leading to the NYSC camp to protest against our marginalization but then Chairman of Obubra Local Government Area and the NYSC State Coordinator advised us to shun blocking the road but wait until the embargo on employment is lifted”.

According to the youths, upon the lifting of the ban on employment for junior cadre late last year, it was discovered that some members of their community who applied for jobs were left out. “As peace loving and law abiding citizens, we the youths in consultation with opinion leaders of Ogada community have resolved that the Federal Government through the Director General of NYSC should as a matter of urgency reach an agreement with us over a certain quota of employment for youths before the next call up for orientation to avoid confrontation”.

The Chairman and Secretary stated that their land which was used for the training and rehabilitation of ex-militants suffered adversely because as they put it, “So many of our young girls were raped and some became pregnant and have given birth to children without fathers”.

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