बोदिएस फौंद इन वेल्स इन JOS

B

At least 150 bodies have been recovered from wells around Jos following Muslim-Christian clashes in Jos and environs which the estimated death toll already stood at over 300, a village head and volunteers told AFP yesterday.

This came to light just as it was learnt that the 60 suspects arrested in connection with the clashes might have been moved to Abuja allegedly on orders from above.

Similarly, an acting police commissioner has been appointed for the state in place of Mr. Greg Anyating.
Reasons for his replacement were not immediately known.

“So far we have picked 150 bodies from the wells. But 60 more people are still missing,” said Umar Baza, head of Kuru Karama village near the city of Jos.

“We took an inventory of the displaced people from this village, sheltering in three camps and we realise that 60 people can still not be accounted for,” he added, speaking by telephone.
Head of the Muslim volunteer team in the village, Mohammed Shittu, said further searches would be carried out on yesterday.

“Now we have 150 bodies in all, taken from the wells as from Thursday. We are still going back there today (yesterday) to comb the bush around the village to search for more bodies,” he also told AFP.“From the account of survivors, some people fleeing attacks were ambushed and killed in the bush. That is why we are going there to search for more bodies.

“We believe there are more bodies in the wells but the degree of their decomposition makes it difficult to continue the retrieval operation. We have therefore decided to sand-fill all the wells,” Baza further said.

The state government has given no official death toll for the violence, which broke out last Sunday in Jos, capital of Plateau State and later spread to nearby towns and villages, but religious leaders and medical workers said they had counted around 300 bodies by Wednesday.

Global rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) yesterday urged Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to order “an immediate criminal investigation into credible reports of a massacre of at least 150 Muslim residents of a town in central Nigeria.”

HRW said in a statement received in Lagos that witnesses said groups of armed men — believed to be Christians — attacked the largely Muslim population of Kuru Karama on Tuesday morning.

“After surrounding the town, they hunted down and attacked Muslim residents, some of whom had sought refuge in homes and a local mosque, killing many as they tried to flee and burning many others alive,” the statement said.

At least two vehicles said to have been sent to convey the 60 suspects from Jos to Abuja
were sighted within Plateau State police headquarters Friday evening.

A source said Governor Jonah Jang on getting wind of the move contacted the inspector general of police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, who was said to have denied giving any such order.

Efforts to reach the police comissioner or the spokesman for the command to comment on the development failed as they were out of theiroffice when journalists called yesterday.

However, when contacted, the state attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Mr. Edward Pwajok, described it as a rumour which he found difficult to believe.

He said doing so would be contrary to the position taken by the body of attorneys general which at a recent meeting agreed that offenders were to be prosecuted where the offences were committed in line with due process and the rule of law.

He wondered why the suspects would be taken to Abuja when all the investigating officers and witnesses needed to prosecute them were in Jos adding that taking them there would also be against the resolution of the Senate which asked the Plateau State Government to fish out perpetrators and prosecute them.

Pwajok recalled that 26 suspected mercenaries were taken to Abuja after the 2008 crisis in a similar manner where they were releasedwhile the case files of over 300 suspects arrested and investigated were equally taken to Abuja and were never returned thus frustrating their prosecution.

He said he has been sending lawyers from his office to the police to get the case files of the suspects to enable the Ministry of Justice file charges against them without making any headway adding, “we have
the fear that history may repeat itself.

वेअठेर दिस्रुप्ट्स प्रेमिएर league

* Chelsea
* Hull



Snow across the country has caused many postponements in the Premier League this weekend.

Matches at Burnley, Fulham and Sunderland have already been called off, while Liverpool have asked for their match against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to be postponed.

Fulham’s fixture with Portsmouth has been called off due to adverse weather conditions which are not expected to improve before Saturday’s match, reported on the official site www.fulhamfc.com.

Burnley’s clash with Stoke City, reported on www.burnleyfootballclub.com,and Bolton’s trip to Sunderland have been postponed for safety reasons, states www.safc.com.

Wigan Athletic have confirmed their match with Aston Villa at the DW Stadium will go ahead.

Meanwhile, Everton’s trip to Arsenal and Birmingham City’s match with Manchester United look set to go ahead providing the safety of supporters can be guaranteed.

Hull City have a meeting with the match referee and police today and stadium manager John Cooper is hopeful their match with Chelsea will be on.

Cooper told The Telegraph: "We’re more than confident the game on Saturday will go ahead. Certainly, if the game had been scheduled for today it would have been played.

“The weather forecast does keep changing, so we have to do the same. We’re calling in favours from everywhere we can to make sure that walkways are cleared and that every other aspect on the safety side of things is in place

maryam babangida is dead.

the ex- first lady died of cancer in a us hospital. its likely that her remains arrive on monday or tuesday.

CALL FOR YAR’ADUA’S RESIGNATION

CALL FOR YAR’ADUA’S RESIGNATION: Turai, PDP can’t dictate to us - NBA - You’re mischievous - Mark - Yar’Adua family not divided - Sibling - President has violated constitution - Nnamani

From Lanre Adewole, Taiwo Adisa, Leon Usigbe and Dare Adekambi - 08.12.2009

THE place was Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja and the gladiators were two presidents: Senate President, David Mark and President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN. And the bone of contention was the ailing and hospitalised President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Akeredolu and Mark went for each other’s jugular on Monday over whether or not the president should throw in the towel at the ceremony marking the Law Week of the Abuja branch of the NBA, with the former saying that the First Lady, Turai, and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not dictate to Nigerians on whether the president was fit to hang on or not.

Akeredolu added that despite the marital bond between Turai and her husband, only the doctors could determine if the president could continue in office, while telling the ruling party not to politicise the president’s health, but should advise him properly.

He noted that the lawyers’ body was not only asking Yar’Adua to step down but also to pay attention to his health, because he could not love the country more than his health.

According to him, “the prayer of the association is that the President should recover fast, return to his office and resign. No matter how you love your country, it should not be at the detriment of your health. It is not your party or your wife that will decide whether you are capable of handling state matters; it is only your doctors that can decide that.

“The bar is not asking the president not to come back and take his seat, but the right thing must be done.” Though Mark had spoken before Akeredolu, he had to beg the organisers for another chance at the podium to reply Akeredolu, and when the opportunity was availed him, he straightaway labelled Akeredolu and his ilk mischievous characters who should be ignored.

“Those calling on the president to resign are mischief makers. Nigeria is passing through a difficult time in her lifetime. The call for the president to resign is not necessary. People just want to cause confusion in the country,” Mark said.

Senator Mark said: “I feel very strongly about what is happening. Sycophants and praise singers have cashed in on the situation; we must condemn these acts. It is inhuman and unjust.

“They (mischief makers) deliberately sell dummies to newspapers. The following morning, they collect the newspapers and fly to Saudi Arabia to tell lies.” Mark said that the insinuations were totally mischievous and in bad fate, adding that he certainly did not hold such an ambition.

According to Mark, “This is the handiwork of fifth columnists who are bent on causing disaffection among individuals in government as well as the functionaries of government. It is wicked, mischievous, and unpatriotic and smacks of a grand plan to cause division in the system by those who have found a platform on the status of the health of President Yar’Adua.

“I am not aware of lawmakers holding nocturnal meetings anywhere to fashion out any solution in the face of eventuality. Neither is there any group canvassing a position for the President of the Senate, Senator Mark.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the President of the Senate, Senator Mark, has remained on the same page with President Yar’Adua; his family and our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and we shall not be distracted by rabblerousers.

“As a nation, we are passing through difficult times, no doubt about it. But it does not give room for mischief makers to cause more problems. Whichever faith one professes, all we need at the moment is continuous prayer for the nation and for our president.”

He stated that times like this called for genuine patriotism and commitment to nationhood and not mischief makers or sycophants who wanted to score cheap political points.

To him: “I sincerely advise those behind these ugly trends to desist. They should not mislead the nation. We need to see reasons and pray for Mr. President; we are all humans. I do not see the urgency for Mr. President to resign. I am sure he will return soon to continue his good work.”

The Senate president, who spoke on the theme “Good Governance and Democracy,” said that the 1999 Constitution would be amended to correct the grey areas inherent in it before the expiration of the present National Assembly.

In another development, Akeredolu had earlier at another function in Abuja condemned the idea of limiting the Freedom of Information concept to the media, saying that the bill should be for all Nigerians.

He was speaking at the first annual conference of the NBA Human Rights Institute in Abuja. According to him, “if the government is sincere about the rule of law in its dealings, it should have no problem passing the bill. A government that is committed to the rule of law, openness and anti-corruption must not oppose the Freedom of Information Bill.”

“It is a bill that will ensure that I and every other person will have access to information. It is for all of us here.” The NBA’s First Vice-President, Ikeazor Akaraiwe, who is the chairman of the institute, disclosed that the body had just received the new rules on instituting actions that border on Fundamental Human Rights, adding that the new effort of the Bar was to institutionalise human rights work within the NBA.

Former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais, chaired the conference with the theme Human and Socio-Economic Rights in Nigeria: A case for Justiciability.”

Akeredolu, in his address, demanded for the release of the report of extra-judicial killings of Boko Haram leaders in Borno State as well as officials actions on the report of Justice Olasunmbo Goodluck on the Apo Six killing.

He added that the police in Nigeria lacked requisite knowledge to investigate crimes without torturing suspects, saying that “Investigations are not thorough in this country, what police do is to torture people to admit to crimes. On the fate of those on death row in Nigeria, Akeredolu accused the government of inconsistent policy by continually pleading with authorities in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and other countries for the release of Nigerians on death row while doing nothing over those that had been sentenced to death in Nigeria, asking rhetorically, “should they wait for eternity for their death penalty?”

Meanwhile, former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, has blamed the current controversy surrounding the state of health of President Yar’Adua on his violation of the provision of section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires the president to inform, in writing, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that he was going on vacation.

He also called on the president to address Nigerians through a video conference call in order to put to rest all speculations surrounding his condition.

According to the former Senate President, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by his Good Governance Group (3G), which was personally signed by him, the Nigerian press was fully charged with “unsubstantiated and very worrisome information,” which, he observed, was fuelled by communication gap.

“In the circumstance, the management of both the information and the circumstances surrounding the health of the president, and, by extension, efficient functioning of the executive arm of government, is becoming a source of disagreement, and, to that extent, a source of division in the country,” the statement read.

It added that “as an organisation that is committed to national development, founded on the establishment of truly democratic institutions and culture, it was its belief that the rising wave of speculation surrounding the state of health of President Yar’Adua is caused by his inability to transmit to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation, as provided for by Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

“The increasing politici-sation of the president’s health condition, arising from the inherent gap due to his current absence from the country without complying with the enshrined constitutional process of authorising the vice-president to serve as the acting president of the country, as provided for by Section 145 of the constitution further sharpens divisions and encourages all manner of political permutations, including some contemplated unconstitutional, undemocratic and clearly desperate manipulative arrangements.

“The absence of any form of direct contact between Nigerians and President Yar’Adua is a major source of legitimacy for all the speculations and the contemplated unconstitutional permutations.”

Furthermore, Senator Nnamani observed that the response of Federal Executive Council (FEC), as stated by the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Yayale, that “for issues that require president’s express approval, contacts are being made and such approvals do come” is disturbing. This, he said, confirmed the absence of legitimate presidential authority in the country.

The statement, therefore, noted that while it wished President Yar’Adua speedy recovery to enable him to resume work, “we call on the FEC to, as a matter of national importance, organise a video conference to enable the president to address Nigerians and rest all the speculations that have dominated public discussions in the country of recent.”

Meanwhile, the reported disagreement between Yar’Adua’s mother, Hajia Habib and his wife, Turai, over his ill health, has been denied by his sister, Hajia Mairo Yar’Adua, who described the report as “false and malicious.”

She denied the report in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune. Mairo said her mother did not call for Yar’Adua’s resignation, adding that the spirit of the president’s mother had been dampened since the report came out in the media.

“To put the records straight, the president’s mother has never spoken to the media. She enjoys a cordial relationship with her daughter-in-law, Turai. The president’s mother, contrary to media reports, is supportive of Yar’Adua’s foray into politics and has always encouraged him to render selfless service to the people of Nigeria,” she said.

She added that “it is, therefore, irresponsible for anybody to drag the president’s mother into the politics of the president’s health. What she expects from Nigerians is to pray for the quick recovery of her son.”

Robbers on the rampage in Kogi, Oyo - Kill 12 people, including 5 policemen

FOR two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Kogi and Oyo states, armed robbers went on the rampage killing 12 people, including five policemen. In Ibadan, the robbers were said to have robbed on Ososami Road before linking Anfani Road.

It was while trying to find a route of escape that they sighted a policeman in uniform riding on an okada and pursued him. The policeman, Corporal Augustine Otebolaje with force number 358706, on seeing the robbers in pursuit, attempted an escape by running into a building opposite Apostolic Faith Church at Lodge Street, Oke-Ado area.

He was, however, overwhelmed by the robbers who pumped hot lead into his neck and left hip. He died instantly. The armed men also invaded the popular Kollington Shopping Plaza area of Oke Ado, where a security man working with a fish depot behind the plaza was shot dead.

They were said to have attempted gaining access into the fish depot. The security guard, known as Dimeji, made efforts to prevent their entry by trying to lock the gate against them.

The robbers, in apparent anger, shot at the gate, which was pierced by the bullet, hitting Dimeji in the lower part of the abdomen. Dimeji was said to have walked a short distance within the depot, clutching his stomach from which blood was gushing out, before he collapsed and died.

However, they did not succeed in collecting any money, because they could not gain access through the door leading to where money was kept. The armed young men, who carried out their acts may have divided themselves into groups, as another set robbed the beer depot beside the fish depot.

The group that invaded the beer depot pretended to be customers intending to purchase a particular brand of beer, according to an eyewitness. One of the two gang members that entered the depot, it was gathered, opened his nap sack, as if to bring out money, but drew out a gun from it, assembled it and introduced himself as an armed robber.

The day’s proceeds were collected from the sales girl while the laptop belonging to the manager and his bag containing some documents and books were taken away.

The armed robbers were said to have driven in Toyota Camry cars, one red colour and the other ash colour. They escaped through the bridge at Popoyemoja area, where some boys who gave them a chase eventually lost sight of them.

A credible police source told Nigerian Tribune that the robbers abandoned the cars in Felele area and that one suspect has been arrested. Earlier, on Tuesday evening, a gang of five armed robbers had attacked a supermarket disposessing the supermarket owner of the entire day’s sale, jewellery and other valuables, after first outwitting men of the Nigeria Police, who were only 10 metres away from the scene of robbery.

The incident, which according to eyewitnesses lasted about 10 minutes, occurred at a supermarket directly opposite the popular Floreb Hotel, on Aromolaran Street, off Old Ife Road. The police, it was said, had been keeping a 24-houur illegal checkpoint, in front of the hotel, in the past four weeks.

Eyewitnesses told the Nigerian Tribune that the gang, which came on commercial motorcycles, had two of their members noisily arguing with the policemen over ‘settlement’ issues, a ploy which successfully kept the policemen distracted, while the other members of the gang robbed and completed their task and at whose signal, the “okada riders” finally ‘settled’ the officers and repositioned, for their gang members to hop on the bikes and rode off.

The supermarket owner, a middle aged woman who was still in shock, said she could not believe the attack could happen, not only because it was well before 8.00 p.m., but also because she felt the presence of the policemen should have deterred the gang.

Eyewitnesses who confirmed their helplessness said there was nothing they too could do, with the officers being so engrossed with okada riders, more so, as the gang was armed.

At the Agugu police station, though the DCO, Mr. A. Olayinka who confirmed the event, said he was yet to get the details, the station officer, who further confirmed the robbery incident, stated that the gang made away with jewellery and a yet to be determined sum of money and emphasised that the development had buttressed the need to continue to mount their checkpoint in the area.

Residents who, however, spoke on condition of anonymity said the presence of the policemen, which initially gave them a sense of security, had now turned into another thing, as all the officers did was to waylay okada riders and force them to pay ‘settlement’.

They said it was also a common practice for junior officers of the station, to routinely visit neighbourhood and arrest youths in the area, claiming they were picking ‘roguers’.

Also, in Kogi State, no fewer than 10 people, including four policemen, were killed in separate armed robbery incidents that occurred within the last two days.

The robberies occurred between Tuesday and Wednesday, with the worst hit being some banks (names withheld) at Ankpa area of the state, as robbers numbering about 20 stormed the banks in the town, killing four policemen while a man said to be a well known thug, one Shaibu a.k.a. Rambo, who had mobilised his men to confront the robbers, was killed along with two of his boys.

Two armed robbers were also reported killed during the operation which lasted several hours. Also, robbers who had laid siege to the Ankpa- Lokoja highway on Monday, robbed a vehicle carrying a corpse. The robbers were said to have dropped the corpse and forced the bereaved to lie face down at Adogo village and stole their belongings, which included money and handsets.

The corpse, according to the state acting Commissioner of Police, Mallam Abdullahi Magaji, was being conveyed from Abuja to Ankpa with the passengers on board before they ran into the roadblocks mounted by four robbers suspected to be Fulanis.

Magaji, who paraded the dead body of one of the Fulani robbers who was killed when security operatives patrolling the highway ran into the robbery, said that the three others fled the scene when one of them was killed.

Magaji who confirmed the bank robberies at Ankpa, on Wednesday, said that the policemen and the leader of the thugs were killed during the robbery incidents

More trouble for Bode George - Reps probe him - Lawyers file for appeal, bai

JAILED former deputy national chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, may be in for another trouble, as the House of Represent-atives commences a probe into his tenure at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on the processes leading to the sale of NPA’s property.The House declared that “preliminary inquest” showed that several properties were sold and huge sums of money collected by certain people in the NPA, pointing out that there was the need to ascertain whether due process was followed or whether the process was fair, among others.

In particular, the Committee on Marine, headed by Honourable Ifeanyi Ogwuayin, on Wednesday, set up a seven-man ad hoc committee to probe the total properties portfolio of the Federal Government Agency pre-and post-January 31, 2009 and ascertain the total value of the listed properties.

Addressing newsmen, the committee boss, in the company of his members, said the latest move to probe the NPA and its operators in the recent past, was borne out of numerous complaints, petitions and even allegations his committee received.

According to him, the petitions and complaints came from members of staff, retirees, staff unions, stakeholders and the general public, saying such complaints had kept on coming since 2006, alleging sharp practices in the sale of NPA properties.

“Since the inauguration of this committee, we have been inundated with complaints, petitions and even allegations on the sale of NPA properties, started sometime in 2006. These have come from the NPA staff, retirees, their staff unions, stakeholders and the general public. The media has indeed celebrated the matter of sale of NPA properties,” he said.

He disclosed that from preliminary information his committee gathered from the ministry and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), there was the need to expand the scope of “our evaluation to give it more credibility, as well as give everybody a level playing field to state their case.”

The ad hoc committee, which has Honourable Adamu Gora Kalba as chairman, is to work on a seven- term of reference, including itemising the NPA properties sold post-January 31, 2006 to date, their value and the approving authorities; Determine if the sales were properly authorised, if they followed laid down procedure (including the Federal Government sale of properties guidelines), and if there were any wastages.

“Ascertain how much was realised from the sale, its domicile status and if such sum has been properly remitted. “Recommendations to the committee for requisite legislative action and

“Identify other measures that will ensure that future processes are in line with law and guidelines”. The ad hoc has been given six weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report.

Meanwhile, Chief George and others convicted alongside him on Wednesday filed their notice of appeal against the judgment passed on them by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole and a motion of temporary bail pending the determination of appeal at the registry of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.

However, immediately after the processes were completed by counsel representing them, they bluntly refused to give journalists copies, hinging their refusal on journalists’ alleged sensationalisation of the reports of their client’s conviction.

Specifically the lawyers who arrived at the court premises and concluded their fillings at about 4.00p.m., pointed out that the media unduly reported that the convicts were sentenced to 28 years imprisonment, the report which they claimed were done in bad taste.

Not minding their presence at the registry and the appeals from journalists requesting for the photocopies of the process, they insisted journalists should have reported two and a half years, which the trial court pronounced on each count.

One of the lawyers who was at the registry even queried the journalists as to where they got their reports. They argued that they had to serve the respondents copies before making the processes available to journalists.

Meanwhile, lawyers from the various chambers representing the applicants effected services on one another and at the same time immediately sent copies to the counsel representing the respondents.

When they were leaving the court, they agreed to a meeting at the chambers of the lead counsel for the defendant, Chief Tunji Ayanlaja (SAN), for subsequent actions on the matter, jettisoning the plea from journalists, despite the document already of a public matter.

Youth Corps Members Allege Attack In Taraba

Youth Corps Members Allege Attack In Taraba

* Akinjide Calls For Scrapping Of Scheme

From Charles Akpeji, Jalingo

AT a time many Nigerians are calling on the government to either scrap or review the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme to allow corps members the option of choosing whether and where to serve the nation, following the recent rape and killing of Miss Grace Ushang in Borno State, some corps members serving in Sunkani, headquarters of Ardo-Kola Council of Taraba State on Thursday allegedly escaped being lynched in a night attack by villagers.

According to sources, the attack on the Corpers Lodge residence of the corps members followed an argument between one of them and a secondary school pupil in the community.

Although no casualty was recorded in the attack, the 30 corps members residing at the lodge have since fled to the state NYSC secretariat. They vowed not to return to the community.

One of them said: "Going back there should not be the issue now, because our security is not guaranteed at all. If not for God, I think some of us would have been killed in the process. But we are glad none of us was injured, even though we were mercilessly beaten.

"Our security has to be assured before we can think of going back there, because the people are too hostile. Why, for God's sake, would one take up arms against a corps member for rebuking a student who does not want to learn?"

The corps members lamented that policemen serving in the area did not come to their rescue during the attack, saying: "We did not even see any of them (policemen). Rather than allow ourselves to be slaughtered, we decided to run for our lives. So, the thought of going to the police station did not occur to us.

"We ran for several kilometres before we finally got a Good Samaritan riding in a pick-up van, who conveyed us to this place (NYSC secretariat)."

The new state NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Isaac Fasanu said his office was yet to be briefed on the incident, but promised to take action as soon as that was done.

A serving corps member in Sokoto State told The Guardian that apart from certain environmental inconveniences, "another problem we are facing is the aggressiveness of the people, coupled with language barrier, especially as many of them do not understand or speak English. So, relating with them is a problem, because they easily misunderstand us, thinking we are in a way abusing them.

"Teaching them in the class is also not an easy task, because they might just beat you up. The students are very violent and always come to class with knives in their pockets. There are cases where they manhandle the female teacher (corps members) for chastising them over poor performance.

"They can just round you up in a place and start doing all sorts of evil to you, including beating your buttock, pressing your breast and all sorts of nonsense. So, teachers are always very careful with them so that we don't get humiliated. All we do is just teach them and go our own way. We can hardly correct them."

She cited an instance where a female corps member was assaulted by her students for exercising authority over the students.

Second Republic Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), doubts that the scheme serves any useful purpose in present-day Nigeria any longer.

According to him: "The care for those corps members is virtually non-existence. We now open them to avoidable dangers and risks, and some of them even die in the process. Is that what we want for our youths?'

He, therefore called for the abolition of the scheme, saying: "By exposing our youths to danger and lack of care, we are just increasing the population of our people exposed to risk."

He added: "In a country where the security of corps members has not only become an issue, but also rare, the NYSC programme becomes useless. We can no longer afford to have our children killed by some miscreants in the name of national service and some people will say it is the will of God."

But Evangelist Israel Chari, whose two sons are corps members serving in Lagos and Kaduna, said it is a great disservice for anyone to suggest that the scheme be discontinued.

According to him, the NYSC scheme is a unifying force in the country, saying the incident in Jos some time ago and others in parts of the north that led to the death of some corps members were not enough to disband such a laudable programme, as being suggested in some quarters.

Ushang, a corps member from Cross River State, serving in Borno State was killed by some miscreants in the state for inexplicable reasons, fuelling calls for the scheme to be re-assessed.