Date: 2019-10-08

The Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps in Kwara State, Mrs Esther Ikupolati, has said that 20 corps members will repeat national service as punishment for absconding from their places of primary assignment.

Ikupolati told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Ilorin that 15 other corps members who violated various sections of the NYSC Bye Laws would have their tenures extended, ranging from two to four months.

The state coordinator added that the punishment would deter others from treading the path of indiscipline.

Ikupolati said the affected corps members were among the 1,781 who served in the 2018 Batch C stream one in the state.

She noted four deserving corps members, who passed out in low-key ceremony held at the NYSC Secretariat in Ilorin on Monday, received NYSC State Honours Award for distinguishing themselves in the course of the service year.

She noted, "It is our tradition in the NYSC to always reward hard work, ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovations among corps members during the passing out ceremony."

She commended the outgoing corps members for their contributions to the development of the state, especially in education, health, agriculture, rural infrastructure and involvement in the concluded general elections.

She advised them to continue to practice the skills acquired during their Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Training, saying, "The skill acquired will come in handy as an alternative to the usual job seeking mentality."

The state coordinator lamented that one of the outgoing corps members died during national service due to ill health.