By News Agency Of Nigeria
The Cross River Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Mr. Andrew Zemo, has appealed to the State Government to assist the scheme by connecting its orientation camp in Obubra Local Government Area to the national grid.
Mr. Zemo’s plea, which happened on Wednesday, follows the adoption of a motion by the Cross River State House of Assembly at its plenary earlier this week to rehabilitate the camp which lacks a full perimeter fence and other public utilities. The motion was sponsored by Hon. Martins Achadu (Yala 2, PDP).
According to Zemo, who lamented that youth corps members often redeploy from the State due to nonpayment of stipends and the terrible state of the camp; generators are the only source of power. These, according to him are switched off by 10:00 PM due to the high pump price occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
“Lots of corps members are posted to Cross River and they relocate due to the state of the camp and the fact that the state does not pay stipends like some other states. We need rehabilitation of the hostels, which will involve the bedding, toilets, and lecture halls; there is also a need for more boreholes and connecting the camp that has always run on generator to the national grid,” Zemo said.
He added; “Once corps members get to the camp and notice that the facilities are okay, the news will go round and many of them will desire to come to the State instead of asking to be relocated from the State.”
Mr. Achadu while presenting the motion, argued that if the State can support the Nigerian Police Force, then such should be extended to the NYSC which the State’s Education sector benefits from.
“Not many corps members are posted to my area, even though we desperately need them. This is because not many are sent to Cross River due to the state of our orientation camp and the inability of the State to pay stipends. We need the services of the NYSC, so, we need to support them like it is done in many other states, and in return, the scheme will send many corps members needed to the State,” Achadu said.