Be Mindful Of The Company You Keep- Gov. Okowa Admonishes Youths
By Juliet Nkadi
ISELE-UKU/Nigeria: Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has enjoined youths to be mindful of the company they kept.
Governor Okowa gave the advice in Asaba during the passing out ceremony of the 2021 Batch ‘A’ stream 1 Corps members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), posted to the state.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, the governor told them that the years ahead promised to be very exciting, but that there was the need to display necessary caution as any wrong move could endanger their future.
He said that the service year had laid a strong foundation for future endeavours, surmount obstacles and dispel fears that may confront them from time to time, adding that as young graduates with requisite knowledge and skills, the sky was their limit, but that they must recognise that the road to success had never been easy as it was often rough and turbulent.
The governor expressed optimism that the practical lessons of unity, understanding, cooperation and tolerance which they imbibed during the service year would manifest in their relationship with people they would come across in their private capacities.
He disclosed that while their participation and experience in the NYSC were expected to equip them with necessary skills and strategies for their individual survival as adults in a competitive world, government was aware of its responsibility and thus very determined to create the enabling environment for citizens to realise their potentials to the fullest.
In his welcome address, the State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr. Alao Olusegun, revealed that a total of 1, 497 corps members successfully completed the service year in the state.
According to him, out of this number, eight corps members were considered for various awards as a mark of recognition of their hard work in uplifting the communities they served.
Among them was Mohammed Aliyu Olusegun, a University of Benin graduate from Edo State who carted away the State NYSC Chairman’s Award after a meritorious service at the Army Day Secondary School in Effurun.
The coordinator further disclosed that 21 corps members who absconded or abandoned the service would be remobilised for a repeat of service whenever they resurfaced, while seven others who violated the NYSC rules and regulations would have their service extended for various infractions during the service.
