Akwa Ibom Governor Pastor Umo Eno has urged corps members deployed to the state to shun vices that have tendency of truncating the lives of the youth, during their service year.

Pastor Eno said this during the official opening/swearing-in ceremony for 2024 Batch A Stream 1 corps members at the NYSC permanent orientation camp on Tuesday, in Ikot Itie Udung, Nsit Atai, Akwa Ibom.

The governor, represented by Mr Monday Uko, Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, said that they should stay away from use of hard drugs and cult activities, to avoid destroying their future.

“You should concern yourselves with those virtues that will stand you out as outstanding individuals in this camp and throughout the service year,” Eno said.

He assured corps members that the state government had taken necessary measures to ensure the safety of their lives and property.

The governor said that he was aware of the needs of the camp, assuring the corps members of improved facilities during their stay.

Eno called on corps members to take the orientation course seriously and internalise the lessons, being as an integral part of the service year.

Earlier in her remarks, the state coordinator of NYSC in Akwa Ibom, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, informed the corps members that the orientation course was designed to instil the spirit of perseverance, discipline and resilience to adequately overcome the challenges of the service year.

Ekwe disclosed that 1, 846 corps members, comprising 975 male and 871 female, were deployed to the state for the mandatory one year service.

She urged the corps members to take the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme seriously, as it was packaged to provide them with veritable platform to overcome challenges of unemployment.

She commended the state government for their unflinching support to the development of facilities in the orientation camp for the welfare of corps members.

She, however, reminded the state government of the NYSC Camp was in dire need of renovation as it lacked light, not being connected to the national grid, and needed perimeter fence to ensure adequate security of the camp facilities.

The state coordinator admonished the corps members to be of exemplary conduct and internalise the ideals of national service as enshrined in the oath of allegiance.