Ohakim assures Corps members on security

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State has assured all serving members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in the state of maximum security as they move into the hinterland for their primary assignments.

Ohakim made the pledge in a message read on his behalf by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Chief Tony Uzoukwu, during the closing ceremony of the orientation course for the 2010 Batch ‘B’ members at Umudi, Nkwerre local council area of the state.

“My dear patriots, as you move into Imo hinterland, we assure you  of maximum security. Imo State has been harvesting the benefits of the NYSC scheme in the area of education,” Ohakim said.

He hinged his conclusion on the numerical strength of Imo indigenes who write the Unified Tertiary Martriculation Examination yearly, as well as corps members of Imo State extraction moving to serve in other parts of the country each service year.

“Corps doctors, pharmacists and other paramedics posted to the nooks and crannies of the state to take care of the health needs of the citizens and the practice has drastically reduced the mortality rate,” the governor said.

In her own address, the State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Helen Achille, appealed to corps employers to be sensitive to the welfare of the corps members, stressing that they could only get the best out of the corps members if they were adequately motivated.

She called on the state government to comprehensively renovate the Orientation Camp, provide a multipurpose hall, fence the camp, connect the camp to the national grid, as well as equip the camp with basic facilities.