Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has urged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to see their postings to various parts of Nigeria as a call to nation-building.
The governor advised them to stop rejecting their postings for fear of death or molestation.
Okorocha spoke yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, when he hosted the Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Suleman Kazaure.
The governor noted that NYSC members should also regard their postings to various parts of the country as a test of patriotism.
According to him, “patriotism is not only in the fear of the law but equally in the love of one’s country”.
Okorocha said: “Even the greatest love a man can show his nation is that he dies to save it. We must, therefore, never for reasons of terrorism or cult activities, refuse to fight this battle of indivisibility of the nation. We must remain united. The essence of NYSC is nation integration. Our country is going through a very difficult moment and harassment by men of underworld who have organised themselves to humiliate, kill and maim people.
“NYSC members should be bold to stand up and serve their fatherland without fear of terrorism. The time has also come for the NYSC members to begin to receive some forms of military training for reasons of self-defence. The most humiliating case is to see a man with gun, who ordinarily cannot beat you face-to-face and because of the piece of metal he has, he treats you like a piece of dirt. That is the most painful.”
The governor described Kazaure as a vibrant soldier with integrity, adding that Nigeria had been in dire need of men and women of integrity who could contribute to the development of the nation.
Kazaure said he was touring Imo State to get acquainted with the situation in NYSC’s camp.
He hailed Okorocha for what he called a befitting camp he was building for the NYSC.