Ex-corps members threaten to disrupt Osun parade

NYSC members | credits: File copy DISSAPOINTED by the failure of the Osun State government to pay them the Governor’s Award prize money they won since last year, some ex-corps members have threatened to disrupt the passing out parade holding at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ede on Thursday (today). The aggrieved former members of the National Youth Service Corps belonged to the Batch A corps who served in Osun State in 2012. The ex-corps members, during a visit to the PUNCH office in Osogbo, said the state government had failed to pay them N100, 000 each as the prize money for winning the Governor’s Award during their service year. The Governor’s Award recipients being owed their prize money are Ayo Oladejo, Ogechi Anih, Chizoba Ajah and Chioma Udedoh. The overall winner, Mr. Dennis Ogunnaike, said they had written many letters to Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly on the matter but that none had yielded the desired result. Ogunnaike said that the NYSC had asked the winners to drop their account numbers for onward disbursement whenever the state government paid the money but the money had not been paid. He said, “All efforts made to get the money through the Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Stephen Kola Balogun, has yielded no results. A meeting with the State Coordinator of the NYSC in Osun State, Mrs. Ajibola Eboagwu, on October 7 revealed that no money has been paid to the NYSC. “Having discovered that the government is deceiving us, we shall not hesitate to use other channels to get our voices heard if the issue is not addressed before the conferment of another round of these awards on those passing out on Thursday.” The corps members said they were informed that the governor had paid the money and wondered why same had not been paid to the award recipients. Efforts to speak with Balogun proved abortive as calls to his mobile did not go through. A text message was also sent to the commissioner on the matter but he was yet to respond as at the time of this report. The Osun NYSC spokesperson, Mrs. Christy Olatoye, confirmed to our correspondent that the ex-corps members had not been paid their prize money. “It is true that they have not been paid the money but we will pay them immediately we receive it,” she said.