The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Cross River State, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, has described the reported suspension of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployments to the state as a “national embarrassment” and a damning indictment of the current administration.
The criticism follows reports that the NYSC management halted the posting of corps members to Cross River over the collapsing and dilapidated condition of the scheme’s orientation camp in Obubra Local Government Area.
In a statement on Thursday by her spokesperson, Mr. Archibong Eyo, the governorship hopeful expressed deep concern over the state of infrastructure in Cross River, alleging that the rejection of the facility exposes an administration lacking a coherent vision for youth development.
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“The reported suspension of corps members’ deployment to Cross River State over the deplorable condition of the NYSC Orientation Camp in Obubra is a national embarrassment and a damning indictment of the state government,” she stated.
Reeling out demographic statistics, the ADC flag bearer noted that Cross River State is home to over 1.1 million young people, making youth-oriented public investments vital to the state’s economic and social future.
She argued that a well-maintained orientation camp could serve multi-purpose functions beyond hosting corps members, but criticized the government for allowing public infrastructure and educational facilities to suffer from outright decay and systemic abandonment.
“Beyond the shameful rejection of the facility is a government that does not have a clear agenda for its youth. Education and educational facilities suffer from outright decay and abandonment under a government that has made no effort to add to the institutional infrastructure for making education count,” the statement added.
Amb. Toyo pledged that an ADC-led government would prioritize youth development as a central pillar of state planning, outlining plans to revamp public infrastructure across the state.
“Sadly, much cannot be expected in the absence of a youth-driven state policy that incorporates the development and advancement of the future citizens of the state,” she said. “As a government, the ADC believes in making the youths its pillar of development and consequently using a youth development and empowered comprehensive plan to build or rehabilitate places like the NYSC camp in Obubra, including sports, training, and recreational programs.”
Reiterating her party’s governance vision, Toyo assured residents that an inclusive administration under her leadership would view public infrastructure as an essential investment in human capital rather than an afterthought.
