BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has sworn in 2,200 corps members of the 2026 Batch C Stream two set deployed to Enugu State for the one-year mandatory national service.
The State Coordinator, NYSC, Mrs Oluwakemi Awolola, disclosed this on Friday during the swearing-in ceremony at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Awolola said that the corps members comprised 862 males and 1,338 females.
She expressed joy over the upgrade of facilities in the NYSC camp by Gov. Peter Mbah administration.
She applauded Enugu State Government for the provision of potable water boreholes, reconstruction of abandoned toilets and renovation of male hostels in the camp.
The state coordinator said that NYSC remained grateful to Gov. Peter Mbah’s administration steadfast commitment to the welfare, security and general well-being of corps members in the state.
”The various supports provided by the state government have continued to create a conducive environment for the successful implementation of the NYSC programme in the state,” she said.
The state coordinator tasked the corps members on discipline, noting that discipline remained the bedrock of the NYSC Scheme.
She said that the orientation programme had been carefully structured to instill the values of patriotism, discipline, self-reliance, leadership and national integration through physical training exercises, drills, lectures, social activities and various interactive sessions.
Delivering his address and inaugurating the boreholes and other projects, Gov. Mbah reassured his administration’s commitment to the welfare and security of the corps members.
The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Lloyd Ekweremadu, reiterated his commitment to commence the payment of his earlier promised new allowance to all the corps members in November.
He urged the corps members to tolerate one another.
“By living and serving together across ethnic and cultural, religion and geographical differences, you have the opportunity to practice tolerance, build understanding and strengthen the bond that hold our nation together,” he said.
Mbah said that the NYSC had received the first line of attention in terms of infrastructure renovations, additional boreholes and reconnection of electricity.
He said that there were currently ongoing construction of new accommodations for both the staff and the corps members as well as new auditorium.
The Enugu State Chief Judge, Justice Raymond Ozoemena, represented by Justice Anthony Onovo, administered oath of allegiance to the new corps members.
Ozoemena said that the greatest legacy they could leave while concluding their service year was “a good name”.
“It is a legacy that you can leave behind to your children and generation to come after, which they will cherish,” he said.
Earlier, the General Manager, Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Mr Monday Ani, said that with the mandate of the governor, his team was able to rehabilitate all the boreholes, toilets and hostels within three weeks.
He commended the NYSC state coordinator for the cordial relationship she established with the state government and the CSDA.
Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively.
He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
He began his journalism career in The Republic Newspaper, Lagos in 1987 as a Special Correspondent in Benin City, Edo State.
In 1990, he was posted from Lagos to old Anambra State as a State Correspondent in Enugu.
In 1994, he joined the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Ibadan, Oyo State, Publisher of Nigerian Tribune Newspapers where he rose to the rank of Southeast Bureau Chief.
Retiring from the mainstream traditional media in 2019, he began another journey in online newspaper publication.
He was the Overall Best Reporter in 2015, an award bestowed on him by Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State.
He has attended several workshops/seminars organised by multi-nationals, government institutions, local and international media including BBC.
He is also a unionist and had held top positions as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists of Enugu Correspondents’ Chapel and State Council of NUJ, respectively. He was also a one-time Enugu State Secretary of Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN).
