Date: 2011-07-14

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has directed the Ministry of Youth and Sports to immediately provide alternative accommodation for the additional 500 Corps members recently deployed to the State from Lagos State by the National Headquarters of NYSC.

In the same vein, Alhaji Ahmed has also directed the Ministry of Water Resources and the State Water Corporation to immediately effect repairs on all the broken down boreholes at the NYSC Camp with a view to finding lasting solution to the problem of shortage of water supply in the camp.

The governor’s directive followed the problems of accommodation and inadequate water supply being faced at the State NYSC Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Edu Local Government, as a result of the additional 500 Corps Members deployed from Lagos State.

In addition, Governor Ahmed has equally approved the construction of 10 additional blocks of hostel at the NYSC Camp to permanently address the problem of accommodation in view of the yearly increase in the number of Corps Members posted to serve in the State.

Speaking with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Salihu Musa said the sudden increase of Corps Members in the camp in addition to about 250 officials actually increased the pressure on the facilities available especially accommodation.

As an interim measure, he said, the State Government also provided additional 100 Mattresses for the Corps Members to cater for the additional ones from Lagos State.

He explained that the on-going rehabilitation work at the Lagos State NYSC Camp was responsible for the redeployment of additional corpers to the State to complete their orientation course in Kwara.

On the problem of shortage of potable water supply to the camp, Alhaji Musa disclosed that interim measures were already being put in place to improve water supply to the camp.

According to him, water tankers were already supplying water to the camp from Lafiagi Dam, which has also improved the situation tremendously.

This interim measure is in addition to the complementary efforts of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the State Water Corporation at providing sufficient water supply for use by the Corps Members and officials at the Orientation Camp.

The deployment of additional corpers from Lagos State brings the total population of Corps members at the Yikpata Camp to 3,040.

Abdulwahab Oba
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
14/07/2011