Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, on Monday, doled out N413 million to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state.
He made the donation during the orientation course passing out parade of the Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 corps members deployed to the state.
A breakdown of the figure indicated that N400 million was for the renovation of the NYSC’s Orientation Camp in Old Macgregor College, Afikpo and N2 million was given to corps members who took part in the parade.
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The sum of N5,000 travel allowance was given to each of the 2,200 Batch B stream 1 Corps members who ended their orientation course while he also gave out various cash sums to the members of staff of NYSC and the military officers who trained the corps members.
Speaking at the venue, Governor Umahi warned them not to make themselves willing tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians who might like to use them to rig the next year’s election.
His words, “I have no doubt that you were adequately motivated and sensitised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on your participation in the forthcoming 2018 General Election.
“Let me inform you that your participation in that all important assignment is a rare opportunity for you to contribute your quota towards enthroning a credible leadership, good governance, and above all, engendering a peaceful and prosperous nation.
“In the light of the above, I charge you to discharge the INEC assignment with utmost sense of responsibility and good conscience by not allowing yourselves to be manipulated by desperate and unscrupulous politicians who will be willing to buy your conscience at all cost.
“Do not in any way give in to their antics, desperation and lure of cash or kind especially when you have to consider that posterity will judge you for the role you will play either positively or negatively during the general elections.”
The governor said the N400 million would be used to repay the road leading to the camp, renovate its dilapidated structures, provide drainage system and plant new grasses on the camp’s parade ground.
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In addition, the money would be used to reconnect the camp to the national grid, solar street lightening of the camp and the road leading to the camp, among others.
The state Coordinator of NYSC in the state, Ann Ngozika Ibe, said that the corps members were posted to all the local government areas in the state except Ishielu council area.
“This decision is an aftermath of the 2008 Ezillo/Ezza-Ezillo communal crisis. We remain open-minded to post corps members to Ishielu LGA as soon as we receive the approval of the state government and clearance from relevant security agencies via the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Abuja to do so”, she said.