The Abia Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Ufuoma Dick-Iruenabere, has called for urgent intervention at the Permanent Orientation, Umunna and State Secretariat complex in Umuahia.
The coordinator, who made the appeal on Thursday at the 50th anniversary celebration of NYSC in Umuahia, said that the organisation was facing serious infrastructural decay in the state.
She said that the orientation camp in Bende Local Government Area, had been severely affected by erosion, which had damaged some of the facilities, including the parade ground, hostel and staff quarters.
“Immediate intervention is therefore needed to implement erosion control measures and prevent further damage to the camp’s infrastructure,” the coordinator said.
Dick-Iruenabere also said that the secretariat was in dire need of renovation and upgrade to create a conducive and functional administrative environment for the staff.
According to her, the current secretariat lacks adequate office space, utilities, and overall infrastructure, which hampers the efficient delivery of NYSC programmes and services in the state.
She, therefore, appealed to the State Government, corporate bodies, and good-spirited individuals to come to its rescue.
Dick-Iruenabere said that event was a follow up on all the activities marking the 50th anniversary of NYSC, which started on Tuesday, May 9, with a road walk.
The coordinator, while enumerating some of the achievements of the scheme, disclosed that the state came tops in the first ever NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) competition held in Abuja.
Delivering the Anniversary Lecture, Dr Gift Candida, described NYSC as a ‘golden scheme’ and a ‘golden treasure’ that deserved a conscious place in the country’s hall of fame.
Candida, who is the Assistant Director, Human Resources, Abia NYSC, spoke on the theme: “Five decades of fostering national unity and development.”
She said that NYSC was celebrating its success story in areas of intervention in education, agriculture, health care service delivery, skill acquisition and enterpreneurship development, sensitisation among others.
The speaker, however, lamented that the scheme was faced with so many challenges ranging from inadequate orientation camps, lack of allowance and accommodation from employers, insecurity and others.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to some staff, individuals and groups for their positive contributions to the growth and development of NYSC.
The epoch making ceremony also featured SAED exhibition.
The day’s event ended with a novelty match between the female corps members and NYSC staff at the Umuahia Township Stadium.(NAN)
