Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in Cross River State, Zemoh Andrew has said the scheme stopped posting corps members to Bakassi Local Government Area, and other volatile places in the state.
This is even as 1,734 more corps members have arrived the State to commence service.
He spoke during an interview in his office, saying they are very mindful of the safety of the members deployed to the State.
“We haven’t had Corps members sent to Bakassi because of crises and insecurity. We don’t intend to do so. We won’t also deploy any to other volatile communities.
“We have only four of them in Akpabuyo LGA which had cases of volatility. The four are serving with security agencies and are safe.
“Our zonal coordinators and inspectors are always at the ready in cases of emergencies to evacuate them,” he said.
Andrew explained that they do not also deploy those that do not like water to coastal places, maintaining, however, that they do sensitise about greater benefits available in the rural communities.
“We don’t compel them to go to riverine communities, especially those of them that have phobia for rivers”, he said.
He confirmed that many of the Akwa Ibom State corps members who were kidnapped enroute Sokoto State months ago for their national service, are being released alongside their driver.
He said only a few are yet to be released by the kidnappers.
“Many of the Corps members kidnapped near Sokoto are being released. Their driver has also been released. Only few of the Corps members are left with the kidnappers. The DG of the Scheme had to relocate from Abuja to Zamfara State. Those remaining will be released soon as our management team is relentless,” he said.
He appealed to the state government and collaborating partners to intervene to upgrade facilities at the Obubra Orientation Camp as corps members would be converging for camping.
Andrew said the camp needs a facelift, saying the host community is not connected to electricity and they run two generators with the attendant high cost of diesel.
He commended the security situation in the camp.
