By Matthew Denis
As parts of efforts to ameliorate the sufferings of corps members serving in the state, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has presented items worth N8. 9million to the orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps at Yikpata, Edu Local Government Area of the state.
The items presented were 400 mattresses, 450 pieces of plastic chairs and 150 double bunk beds which was handed over to NYSC management at the camp on Saturday.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Elder Ayobola Samuel made the disclosure in a telephone interview stating that representatives of the state government recently paid a visit to the camp and realised that corps members lacked basic amenities in their halls of resident.
“The corps members need chairs to make them comfortable during lectures and in their hostels they lacked bunk and mattresses and government decided to provide those items through the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development,” he said.
He explained further that, “the Kwara State Government sees corps members as guests of the state and as such it is the responsibility of government to make sure they enjoyed their stay in our darling state.”
Ayobola stressed further that the state government will continue to attend to the needs of corps members.
“It is now the responsibility of the camp officials to make good use of the items. We had been briefed on the security lapses in the camp but it is expected that security personnel will leave up to the task to ensure those items purchased by government are well protected.”
On the death of a corps member, Eva Iche who died in camp on Thursday, allegedly as a result of broken legs while participating in the drilling exercise, Ayobola described the incident as unfortunate. He said there was no official notification to the Ministry but the information on what may have led to her death is still sketchy.
The Permanent Secretary sympathised with the parents of the deceased, management of the state NYSC and the colleagues of Iche.
Responding, the NYSC Coordinator in Kwara, Amaefule Remigius commended Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for his prompt response to their request.
He said the corps members are all excited over the development adding that the facilities will be jealously protected.
On the death of Iche, Amaefule said it is wrong to apportion blame to anyone, saying it was an act of God. “ It was like a drama when the news about the death of the young lady got to us. The lady was full of life each time we go to the clinic to examine the level of their fitness but unfortunately, the day Iche died, she requested that she want to take her bath and she went to the bathroom to take her bath then she suddenly fell down and was rescued by the clinic staff and her colleagues.
“There was no sign of headache or complain of any ailment except her usual leg pain which she said has been her challenge before coming to camp. What she told us was that she would be fine after four days and the medical consultant from University of Ilorin gave her paracetamol to relieve her pain.
“In fact that incident remains a miracle to me because I wonder what could have been the relationship between leg pain and convulsion which later led to her death”.
