The National Union of Obotebe Students (NUOS), has tasked the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to see to it that corp members are posted to riverine communities in the state.
The call was made by President of the group, Comrade Tare Magbei, who spoke with news men on Saturday even as the body kicked off activities for her 10th annual convention in Obotebe, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta state.
Magbei lamented that the non-posting of corp members to riverine communities in the state has further added to the already existing vacuum of inadequate teachers in the areas.
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He faulted the excuse used by government to halt the deployment of corp members to the communities as an injustice to students resident in the coastal areas.
While calling for the swift intervention of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on the issue, Magbei tasked stakeholders from coastal communities to push for the course as well.
“I sincerely plead with His Excellemcy, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to prevail on the state’s NYSC authorities to resume the posting of corp members to riverine communities.
“There is already an obvious lack of teachers in these areas. The none deployment of corp members has further worsened the situation.
Quizzed on why youth corpers are not posted to the areas, Magbei revealed that NYSC authorities in the state take excuse of a boat accident that led to the death of a corp member a about three years ago.
Magbei maintained that NYSC authorities in the state cannot dwell on the death of a corp member as an excuse to mete such a high level of injustice on the communities.
“The NYSC is a national scheme and a compulsory exercise for all Nigerian graduates. And year after year, corp members have died as a result of accidents on the highways. Terrorism in the north and middlebelt has claimed the lives of countless corp members.
“Electioneering exercises have also claimed the lives of corp members in the past. All of these has not stopped the NYSC from posting corpers to these areas, except the extremely dangerous North-East. Why is this case different?
Magbei stressed that accidents and death are inevitable aspects of life and must not be capitalized on to punish the people.
He suggested that knowing how to swim should be imbibed as a criteria in deploying corp members to riverine areas.
“If the NYSC say they cannot post corp members to these areas because they do not know how to swim, then knowing how to swim should be used as a criteria in posting them.
“Better still, send in graduates that are familiar with these areas to help salvage the deplorable state of education in coastal communities.
He lamented that schools in the areas have long been abandoned by the government as lack of teachers has since become a norm.
“As it stands, many communities have resorted to employing teachers for their schools as the government has failed to live up to that expectation.
“The government cannot fail to send in teachers and deprive the posting of corp members to these areas at the same time. That would be a grave injustice.
“Our call to the governor today, is simply to prevail on the State’s NYSC authorities to resume the posting of corp members to our communities,” he emphasized.
The 2020 edition of the National Union of Obotebe Students tagged “The Education Agenda: Rethinking Vocational Training”, holds from Saturday 26th – Sunday 27th, December 2020, in Obotebe.
The theme lecture will be delivered by the Acting Rector of the Delta State School of Marine Technology (DESSOMATECH), Burutu, Engr Akpoyibo F. E (MNSE, MNIEEE, MNATE, MNISE).
