Corps Members
1,399 Corps members begin orientation course in Abia
[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]
A three-week orientation course for the 1, 399 of the 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 Corps member posted to Abia state for the mandatory one year national youth service has kicked off.
The course, organized by the National youth Service Corps (NYSC) is holding at the NYSC’s Umunna Permanent Orientation Camp in Bende local government area of the state.
At the low-keyed opening ceremony, the State coordinator, Mr Jingi Denis, said the NYSC has over the years, recorded a paradigm shift in her orientation course content, synchronizing it with the prevailing security and economic realities of the nation, to accommodate skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programmes.
Denis noted that the current state of the nation’s security and shrinking white collar jobs made the paradigm shift very necessary.
He listed four cardinal programmes of the NYSC which every corps member must successfully pass through to qualify for discharge at the end of the service to include the Orientation Course, the Primary Assignment, Community Development Service and Passing-out Ceremony.
The course content, he disclosed, include Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Training in physical fitness, series of lectures, social activities, games and sports, among others.
According to the Coordinator, the Orientation Course was designed to equip the corps members physically, mentally and psychologically for the task ahead during the service year.
The Abia State NYSC Coordinator told the corps members that the service was geared towards imparting in them, the spirit of discipline and patriotism; as well as getting them prepared for self-employment and leadership roles that they would soon assume.
He added that there will be strict observance of regimentation in all their activities and conduct, even as they were expected to observe all COVID-19 safety protocols and challenged them to participate actively in the camp activities so as to be fully integrated into the NYSC programmes.
Denis appreciated the state governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, who recently donated to the NYCS in Abia, a brand new Innoson Pickup truck.
Highlight of the ceremony featured the swearing in of the corps members by the State Chief Judge, Justice Onuoha Arisa Kalu Ogwe, represented by Justice Chido Nwakanma, and the corps members undergoing compulsory COVID-19 testing.
