Ondo State coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, has called on two prominent royal fathers where the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp is situated to assist in the infrastructural development of the camp.
Speaking at the palaces of Olukare of Ikareland and Owa-Ale Adimula of Ikareland, the state coordinator appealed to the two traditional rulers in Akoko Division of Ondo State to encourage their subjects to come over to the camp and erect structures which would assist to overcome some challenges.
“I wish to intimate His Royal Majesty that NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp Ikare-Akoko is one of the oldest in the country and some of the facilities and structures are begging for upgrading and replacement as the case may be.
“The hostels are no longer adequate to cater for the accommodation needs of the ever increasing corps population and we need to have more hostels to cater for these promising young and patriotic Nigerians.
“Your Royal Majesty, I am not unmindful of the various assistance we have received from the palace but the situation is becoming more challenging and the best option we have is to run to the palace for immediate intervention.
“Our prayers at NYSC is that you will take advantage of the peace reigning in your domain to appeal to your subjects, especially the philanthropists to come over to the NYSC camp and immortalise their names by erecting more buildings to cater for this reoccurring challenge.
“I want to acknowledge the undeniable fact that the Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (SAN)-led administration in the state has invested heavily on the camp but the fact remains that government cannot do all things, hence the need for this clarion call.
“There is no country in the whole wide world where governments provide all the needs of the society. People with large heart and human milk of kindness in them are always complementing and supporting the good intentions and leadership that government provides.
“I must be honest with you Kabiyesi, we spend humongous amount of money to maintain majority of the structures and facilities because of its old nature and you will agree with me that to maintain old structures gulps a lot.”
She thanked the royal fathers for the welfare and provision of security to corps members serving in their domains.
Responding at his palace, the Olukare of Ikareland, His Royal Majesty (Oba) Saliu Akadiri Momoh said that it took him several efforts to attract the camp to Ikare and that he would continue to do everything humanly possible within his means to support and attract assistance to the camp.
Olukare, the immediate past Chairman of Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers gifted the 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream 1) corps members the sum of N50,000 to support their camp activities.
At the palace of Owa-Ale Adimula of Ikareland, Oba Adeleke Adefemi Adegbite-Adedoyin expressed his continuous support for the scheme with a promise to mobilise his subjects to do something tangible and worthwhile at the camp.
“NYSC camp in Ikareland is our heritage and we shall do all things possible within our jurisdiction to protect and prevent it from decaying.”
He said the palace in conjunction with the Owa-Ale in Council and notable subjects of the ancient town would not just come and do something at the camp but “something massive that NYSC will be proud of.”
The monarch used the opportunity to encourage members of the service corps to embrace Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme of the scheme.
