Corper buried in A’Ibom weeks to passing out

The remains of Ngozi Onyekwere, 26, a National Youth Service Corps member at the Akwa Ibom State Government House, Uyo, have been buried at her home town in Nnarambia, Ahiara, in the Ahiazu Local Government Area of Imo State.

Onyekwere, an Accounting graduate from the University of Port Harcourt, who was to pass out from the national scheme in August 2016, died in a road accident at Uyo on June 23, 2016.

The victim was returning from her workplace at the government house when the crash occurred.

During a requiem mass at Saint Brigid’s Catholic Church, Nnarambia, Rev. Father Boniface Nwaigwe urged the congregation to always help humanity, especially those in need.

Nwaigwe, a professor and lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, University of Port Harcourt, regretted that people who witnessed the accident did not assist the victim by taking her to a hospital.

The cleric said rather than take the victim to the hospital, those who witnessed the accident were busy snapping the pictures of the accident and posting them on social media.

He said, “We are gradually losing our humanity. It is also very pathetic and difficult to get somebody who can help in any difficult situation.

“Christianity has not yet come to Nigeria. Our attitude does not show we are Christians. Any religion that is not self-critical is nonsense. I still need to see the fruit of Christianity in our people.”

In his speech, the representative of the Director General of the NYSC, Rev. Akinolu Ajayi, described the death of the corps member as shocking and painful to the NYSC.

He said, “It is very painful that death struck when Onyekwere was serving her nation, just two months to her passing out of the scheme.”

The Coordinator of the NYSC in Akwa Ibom, Mrs. Ngozi Chukwuka, said the deceased was a diligent corps member, adding that her posting to the government house was based on merit.

She said, “When the Akwa Ibom State Government House asked for three corps members who studied Accounting, Ngozi was among the three that scaled through out of the 38 graduates interviewed.”

The coordinator eulogised Onyekwere for her exemplary conduct in service and urged other corps members to emulate her.

She said “It is not the NYSC that caused her death. Her death during the NYSC programme was one of the vicissitudes of life. It is pertinent at this juncture to disclose that the NYSC bore all the expenses incurred for the burial of the deceased. It is our prayer that God grants her soul eternal repose.”

The NYSC Coordinator, Imo State, Mr. Isaac Fasanu, consoled the victim’s family and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the loss.