The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says it will no longer post corps members to places of primary assignment without accommodation or stipends in lieu of same.
The Ondo State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs Grace Akpabio, said this when she paid a courtesy visit on Oba Batuga Akintoye, the Jegun of Idepe in Okitipupa Local Government area on Wednesday.
Akpabio was at the palace to express her displeasure over the attack on some corps members at their residence in Okitipupa.
She sad, “Henceforth, any corps employers or local government councils without well secured accommodation will be blacklisted.
“Your royal highness, it is callous and wicked on the part of some good -for -nothing individuals to inflict pains and psychological trauma on corps members.
“They left their respective families and loved ones to come over to Ondo State to serve their fatherland only to be rewarded with such inhuman treatment.
“Kabiyesi, some corps members in order to deliver effective service delivery to the host community rented a building.
” The building was broken into by miscreants in the society who dispossessed them of their valuables at gun point and went ahead to molest them.
“I am here on the order of the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.- Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, to inform the Kabiyesi and all the corps employers in Okitipupa Local Government that the NYSC management has resolved to post corps members to only places where their security are guaranteed with good accommodation.
“It is most unfortunate that when the incident occurred, the NYSC Local Government Inspector informed the Local Government Council of the dastardly act.
“But up till this present time of my visit to assess the situation, the local government authorities have not deemed it fit to sympathise with the affected corps members.
“These are our children and the onus lies on us to provide conducive accommodation for them and at the same time ensure that their lives are adequately protected,” she lamented.
The Jegun of Idepe, Oba Batuga Akintoye, expressed shock over the incident and appealed to the state coordinator to allow him take over the matter with the stakeholders and security agencies within the council area.
The monarch, on behalf of the indigenes and settlers of the town, promised that appropriate steps would be taken to forestall a recurrence.
The traditional ruler seized the opportunity provided by the visit to call on corps members to report to the palace or security agencies in the town any suspicious movement or activity within their environment.
At the Divisional Police Headquarters in the town, the State Coordinator, passionately appealed to the Police to intensify surveillance and routine inspection of corps members lodges across the local government.
Akpabio, who was visibly shaken, called on all stakeholders, especially, the security agencies to do everything within the ambit of the law to fish out the hoodlums who perpetrated the heinous crime against humanity.
At the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship Family House where the ugly incident occurred, the State Coordinator thanked God that no life was lost during the attack.
Akpabio admonished the corps members to see what happened to them as a test of their faith and encouraged them not to look back or waiver in their service both to God and mankind.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday.
According to the corps members, some of the items stolen are phones, laptops, clothes and other personal belongings.(NAN)
