Despite losing her son at the Edo State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp last year, Mrs Oluwatoyin Atobatele has donated 300 chairs to the NYSC Lagos camp.
Lagos State NYSC Director Prince Mohammed Momoh announced the donation during the closing ceremony of the orientation programme for the 2017 Batch B Corps members yesterday at the Iyana Ipaja orientation camp.
Momoh thanked Mrs Atobatele for looking beyond her grief and called for a minute silence in memory of Michael and others who may have died during their service year.
“Mrs Atobatele, mother of one of us who came from the United Kingdom to serve and died in camp in Edo State, has given us 300 chairs. Michael’s sister is in Lagos camp now,” he said.
Mrs Atobatele said the donation was done through the Michael Atobatele Foundation, which was initiated to promote the values shared by the late Michael who died at 22.
She said the graduate of Business and Human Resource Management from the University of Hertfordshire would have empowered youths like the foundation is now doing.
“If he was alive, maybe that’s what he would have done because he doesn’t like to see anyone suffer; he likes to see everyone okay and he had passion about Nigeria; he believed that Nigeria will become a better place. These are youths; and now we have a foundation in his memory and all we do is to empower youths so whenever we see youths having problems we help them,” she said.
Mrs Atobatele called for the government to rehabilitate orientation camps to make them fitting for habitation by the fresh graduates.
“My opinion is that this NYSC should be scrapped; but in the situation that they don’t scrap it, they should make life a lot easier and better for these kids. While my son was in Edo State, he was there for three weeks; he never ate the food. Lagos State (camp) is not like that but some states…I think Lagos State is better – probably followed by other states. The bed my son used then, I told him to return from camp. But you know boys, he kept saying “No, mummy I’ll survive”.
“It (the camp) is not a place to be. Some (states) use primary schools. It is not meant for camping; 40 children in one room! How do you want them to survive? The skill acquisition (programme) I like it. I feel other states should emulate Lagos and make life easier for corpers,” she said.
Reacting to the issue of facilities, Momoh said the NYSC Director-General, Brig General Suleiman Kazaure was doing his best to ensure they are up to standard even though state governments are meant to take care of them.
Governor Akinwumi Ambode, represented by Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Mr Olaseye Oladejo, counselled the Corps members to take their skills acquisition training seriously so as to qualify “for a start-up capital from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund established to provide financial support for residents and Corps members serving in the state.”
