Scheme management denies death of 2 corp members in building collapse

Contrary to reports about death of two corp members in Imo state, the National Youth Service Corp management in the state has said no corp member died in the recent building collapse.

The NYSC director of Press, Mrs Bose Aderibigbe said this in a statement issued on Friday, August 18 in Abuja.

Earlier reports had stated that two serving corp members, Chinedu Isiogugu and Ngozi Oformezie died in a building collapse that reportedly killed four people in Imo state.

Aderibigbe according to Punch said that there was a need to correct the misinformation in news reports by some national dailies regarding the identities of two of the deceased persons in the incident.

Reacting to the news reports, Aderibigbe said "Chinedu Isiogugu and Ngozi Oformezie were not serving corps members as stated in the news reports"

Clarifying further, she said the deceased, Chinedu Isiogugu indeed served in Imo state but he had been discharged from the NYSC program since May 4, 2017, while Nogozie Oformezie was not identified as a serving corp member in the state.

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She said, “to put the record straight, Chinedu Isiogugu, a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka indeed served on the platform of the NYSC during the 2016 Batch ‘A’ service year with state code number IM/16A/3803.

“However, the deceased completed the service and was officially discharged on May 4, 2017. Ngozi Oformezie as at date is also not identified as a serving corps member."

She, therefore, commended the media for informing the people and at the same time urge them to check facts before publishing their stories.

“We commend our media friends and stakeholders for their efforts at informing the citizenry.

“We equally want to appeal for cross-checking of facts with the scheme on matters of this nature, especially to ascertain identities of serving corps members,” she said

It would be recalled that four persons reportedly died in a building collapsed on Sunday, August 13 at the Fire Service Junction, Owerri.