Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Two graduates of Kwara State Polytechnic, Mustapha Ajibola Habibat and Ademuyiwa Bright Adebowale died at Mokwa in Niger State on Tuesday in a fatal auto crash.
The deceased, both HND graduates of Science Laboratory Technology were on their way to Taraba State where they had been posted for the mandatory one year National Youth Service.
The driver of the commercial bus in which they were travelling also died, while six other prospective NYSC members who sustained degrees of injuries in the crash were being treated at the intensive care unit of Ilorin General Hospital.
The Rector of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Abdul Mohammed called for an extension of time to close camps for orientation against prospective NYSC members across the country.
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Fielding questions from journalists in Ilorin, the Rector said rising cases of the untimely death of prospective NYSC members in road crashes while rushing to Orientation Camps particularly from far away states had become quite worrisome.
The Rector bemoaned the demise of his students describing it as a great loss to the country.
He asserted that the NYSC policy of giving prospective corps members to report in camp within 72 hours irrespective of the states they were going or reporting to coupled with the economic situation of their poor parents was not good enough.
Mohammed canvassed for a minimum of one week for fresh NYSC members to report in camps to reduce risks on the road leading to untimely death of many young Nigerians.
At the Convocation Ceremony of the Polytechnic, which held on Thursday, the Rector complained of poor funding because Kwara State Government had stopped subventions to the school for four years.
The Rector who is barely two weeks old in office disclosed that the 47 years old Polytechnic is having accreditation problem for some of its courses due to lack of fund saying the hope of successes in accrediting the institution’s programmes are mere wishful thinking.
He pleaded that monthly subventions to the school be restored in addition to its needed regular funding to meet the required functions as a higher institution of learning and carrying out researches.
