The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has declared a three-day mourning period in honour of nine corps members, who got drowned at River Mayo-Selbe in Gashaka Local Council of Taraba State.
NYSC Director, Press & Public Relations, Adeyemi Adenike, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said beginning from Monday, August 6 to Wednesday, August 8, 2018, NYSC’s flags nationwide would fly at half-mast.
She said seven bodies had been recovered, while the search for the other two bodies among those who got drowned, was ongoing by local divers and security agents.
The serving corps members had on Saturday, August 4, 2018, left their places of primary assignment and embarked on a picnic at the site before the unfortunate incident.
She said: “Management has declared a three-day mourning for the souls of ‘our departed heroes’ beginning from Monday, August 6, 2018 during which NYSC’s flags nationwide would fly half-mast.
“The entire NYSC family is shocked and saddened by the cruel twist of fate that befell our corps members who got drowned as a result of the sudden increase in water volume and surge of River Mayo-Selbe near the Gashaka falls in Gashaka Local Council of Taraba State.
“Seven bodies have so far been recovered from the river by local divers and security agents while the search for the remaining two missing corps members is ongoing.
“Our prayers and condolences are with the families and the Scheme covets your prayers at this moment.”
In another development, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has deployed 7,425 beneficiaries of the second batch of N-Power Programme under the Federal Government Social Investment Programme (SIP) across the state.
The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the initiative, which he noted, had helped in taking thousands of unemployed youths in the state from the labour market.
He said his administration had been working tirelessly to ensure that all the industrial and commercial opportunities available in Kogi State are revived to ensure that youths are gainfully employed.
Bello, who congratulated the beneficiaries, charged them to utilise the opportunity in impacting the communities they are deployed to positively.
Meanwhile, the Focal Person of the SIP in the state, Mr. Adoga Ibrahim, said that the programme covers N-Power-Teach, N-Power-Agro and N-Power-Health.
He said over 12,000 youths from Kogi State had benefited from the programme since its inception.
