The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Charles Akpuenika, referred to the corps members as "real Nigerians" and urged them to abstain from all electoral fraud and maintain their objectivity as change agents.
During the 2023 Batch A, stream 1 corps members' swearing-in ceremony at Old MacGregor College, Afikpo, Umahi made this statement and urged the members of the corps to dedicate themselves with renewed vigour, conviction, and commitment to the advancement of Nigeria.
He said: “We must co-exist to achieve this common goal irrespective of our cultural differences. What we need is cooperation and teamwork to forge ahead.
“Every element of nepotism, tribalism and ethnicity must be avoided for the nation to progress.
“Unity and integration promote peace, economic development, political stability and prevent all forms of corruption.
“The scheme, which you are today being inducted into, has, over the years, served as a veritable instrument of national development and a string bond that binds together our multifarious ethnic nationalities into one people.
“In view of this, the expectations are enormous as you are duty bound to build on the enviable achievement of your predecessors whose patriotic efforts have sustained the NYSC scheme.”
In her address, the state NYSC Coordinator, Mercy Bamai, said that about 680 corps members were sent to the state.
She thanked the state government and collaborating agencies in sustaining the scheme.
She advised corps members to study the NYSC handbook to know their duties during and after camp, noting that the scheme does not condone indiscipline and, therefore, has empowered the camp management to sanction or even decamp any corps member who is troublesome.
News Source: The Guardian
