5 Corps members die in Sokoto as NYSC observes low key passing out ceremony nationwide

The Sokoto State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr Thomas Yamma, on Thursday, said five members of the corps under the 2015 Batch “B”, Stream one, died within the service year.

Also, Brig.-Gen. Sule Kazaure, the NYSC Director-General, said that the corps held back this year’s annual passing out and winding up ceremony held for outgoing corps members nationwide to ensure their safety.

The Sokoto State Coordinator while speaking at the Passing Out ceremony of the batch.

He said that the five were among the 2,112 NYSC members posted to Sokoto State and that the deaths were as a result of natural causes.

He added that 11 of the corps members were to repeat the service year for absconding from their places of primary assignment.

He noted that seven members had their service year extended by between two and four months for various offences, stressing, however, that “happily, four corps members received state merit awards, four got chairman’s award, while six others got commendation letters.

“On the whole, the corps members had exhibited high sense of commitment and diligence.

“I must also hasten to commend the management of the NYSC, the Sokoto State Government and the Sultanate Council of Sokoto, for their sustained support to the scheme.”

The Chairman of the NYSC Governing Board in the state, Alhaji Muhammad Ladan, lauded the outgoing corps members for being good ambassadors of the scheme, their alma maters, their states of origin and their families.

The Director-General, said this while addressing the 2015 Batch ‘B’ Stream I set of corps members during their passing out on Thursday at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Kubwa, Abuja.

Represented by Mr Adewoye Omotayo, the NYSC FCT Coordinator, Kazaure said the management of the scheme also held back the yearly ceremony due to current economic challenges facing the country.

“It was a decision made to ensure that all corps members remain safe. On a day like this there is usually a lot of movement of corps members and to prevent any problem from arising we decided to hold back any ceremony.

“The ceremony was also stepped down nationwide because the 2015 Batch B set of corps members were divided into streams I and II. We cannot hold double ceremonies for them just a few weeks apart,” Kazaure said.

However, he urged the outgoing corps members to remain focused on becoming self-reliant and self-sustaining.

The director-general advised them to put into practice all the skills and entrepreneurship training they received during their one year of national service.

He also enjoined the corps members to continue to be good ambassadors of their homes, institutions and the country.

Besides, Kazaure urged them not to rely on government jobs but strive to utilise the skills they learnt and become employers of labour in the nearest future.

He reminded the corps members not to think that their service to the nation had ended, urging them to go out and affect the society positively.

According to him, a total of 7,298 corps members are expected to pass out of the service year in the 2015 Batch B.

“For now, only the 2015 Batch B stream I is passing out and they are 4,080.

“The rest of them who are in the 2015 Batch B stream II will pass out on Nov. 4, 2016.

“About 65 of them will not be passing out due to one reason or the other. These corps members are likely to face an extension of their service year.

“One corps member died during the service year from an auto crash. Some corpers distinguished themselves by embarking on developmental projects during the service year; they will be honoured by the FCT Minister in November,’’ he said.

The outgoing corps members in the FCT were asked to assemble at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp to receive their certificates of national service.