Gov Emmanuel, Gen Ibrahim, Mourns A’Ibom NYSC Autocrash Victims

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has described as painful, the loss of a child after spending much resources to train one. The Governor who stated this while expressing grief over the death of five prospective National Youth Service Corps members from the state who died Wednesday in a car accident on their way to Orientation Camp in Katsina State, noted that it is painful to lose a child after investing much in raising them educationally and otherwise.

Speaking while receiving the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim who was on a condolence visit to him, Thursday, at Government House, Uyo, the Governor said he was pained as a father to receive such sad news.

“We received with heavy heart the news of the ghastly accident claiming the lives of our young graduates and I could feel the pains as a father because not after you have finished sponsoring your child from primary through secondary school to University and then on his way to NYSC camp this happened.

“It is a very sad moment and a black Wednesday, well we can’t question God when things like this happen, it’s God that knows everything and He’s in control of everything but our heartfelt condolences will always and ever go out to the parents and the families of those corps members. Our prayers will always go to these our beloved sons and daughters who have lost their lives”, he stated.

He announced his intention to lead members of the State Executive Council on a condolence visit to the bereaved families and directed the Commissioner for Youth And Sports, Sir Monday Uko to trace the affected families for a scheduled visit and prayed God to avert such a mishap in the state.

“I pray may it never happen again, we pray for the families of these young sons and daughters of ours, that God will visit them and God will always be there for them because that’s what will make a difference, no word of man, no sympathy of man can ever fill that gap”, he said.

The Governor thanked the DG, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim for his prompt reaction to the incidence and condolence visit to the state and families of the Corps members, describing him as a good shepherd who has demonstrated love and concern over the wellbeing of the Corps members in the Country and vowed to clamp down on transport agencies conveying Corps members at night to long distances, lamenting that such sad occurrence would have been avoided if the transport agency did not embark on the risky journey.

In his remarks, Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig. Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim described the incident as a sad moment for NYSC community and the affected families , praying God to console Akwa Ibom State and the families who lost their wards on their way to the Camp.

‘It is a very sad day for us, I refer to it as black Wednesday, we commence our batch ‘B’ stream one orientation exercise on the 27th of this month and just yesterday we got a call on what happened and the entire NYSC family and the people of the state are completely devastated. On behalf of the NYSC management and Corps members please accept our heartfelt condolences”.

The deceased Corps members include, Upere Innocent Peter and Akpan Victor Joseph; graduates of Mass Communication, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic; Asuquo Miracle Effiong, graduate of Psychology; Ekikoh Stella Sylvester, graduate of Sociology and Anthropology and Ezuruike Coleman Chikwado graduate of History And International Studies all of the University of Uyo.