Of the total number of 1922 corps members that served in Cross River State, 47 are undergoing various sanctions for committing offences including absconding from their area of primary assignment. Others traveled out of their stations without permission.
Three of the sanctioned corps members were to repeat their service year, while 45 are to do two or three months service depending on the weight of the offence.
However, following the Boko-Haram insurgency in some parts of the country, the 2011 Batch ‘B’ corps members’ passing out ceremony was held at the University of Calabar main pavilion amid security. Our correspondent who monitored the security situation observed that operatives of various security agencies were on their toes ensuring that the occasion was held without casualty.
Disclosing these at the passing out ceremony in Calabar, the NYSC Cross River State Coordinator, Engineer Nkereke Ibangha said 13 members during the service year were honoured with the state governor’s merit award, while 13 others bagged state governing board chairman’s award and another 100 considered for the state coordinator’s commendation award.
Engineer Ibangha said NYSC as an organization was committed to complimenting the efforts of government at all levels in a collective drive to create a generation of young educated Nigerians who can key into the various initiatives of this administration aimed at empowering them to become employers of labour and not just job seekers.
Congratulating the corps members, the State Governor, Liyel Imoke who was represented by the deputy governor, Mr. Effiok Cobham commended Federal Government for repositioning the scheme through the new policy thrust whereby corps members are deployed to specific sectors of the economy in the rural areas such as education, agriculture and health in line with the transformation agenda of the Jonathan administration which tallies with our state policy on rural development.