Coordination of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the states have been ordered to strictly enforce the scheme’s regulations on the movement of corps members within and outside their places of primary assignment (PPAs).

The director-general, Brig-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, gave the directive in Katsina State during his visit to commiserate with families of corps members involved in a road mishap on Sunday.

The accident, which occurred while some corps members were traveling for a religious event, left three dead and 14 others injured.

Addressing the recuperating corps members at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Ibrahim said the regulation would help to curb fatalities through road accidents and violent attacks.

He called on cadets to always get clearance from their state coordinators each time they want to travel, especially whenever they intend leaving their council areas or the state.

“There is a need for us to streamline where you go and where not to go; all of us should be very careful.

“If you are going anywhere, let your coordinator know, and we must be sure that the journey is extremely necessary before you are permitted to go.

“We do not hope for a repeat of this type of incident, but we must guard against the unapproved movement of corps members. Procedure for traveling outside the state and areas of deployment must be enforced,” he insisted.

Ibrahim said he decided to visit the victims to see things for himself and to condole with the bereaved.

He, however, expressed gratitude to Governor Aminu Masari for stopping to assist the accident victims and allowing one of the cars on his convoy to lift them to hospital.

The NYSC boss took time to sympathise with the injured, including Apeh Evelyn, Chinaza Azu, Francis Ogu, Ade Celestine, Patrick Shittu and Onoja Patience. The rest patients were already discharged at the time of the visit.

Parish Priest of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Joseph Dugbe commended the timely response of the NYSC boss, which he described as “the hallmark of quality leadership.”

The DG and the priest also spoke to the parents of the deceased corps members on phone, with arrangements on how to convey the corpses to Imo, Delta, and Ebonyi, their home states. (The Guardian)

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