Governor Alex Otti has expressed satisfaction with the rehabilitation of the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Umunna, Bende Local Government Area.
He made the remark on Friday during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream 1 orientation for corps members deployed to Abia State.
Otti assured that the second phase of rehabilitation would be completed, covering internal roads, fencing, pavilion works, and the parade ground. He said retrofitting and provision of basic infrastructure at the camp were among his administration’s earliest commitments upon assuming office.
“I am impressed with the work done to make this place befitting for camping corps members. But there are still areas needing significant improvement, especially as the number of corps members posted to Abia keeps increasing,” he said.
The governor added that his administration was committed to welcoming corps members and attracting talents capable of contributing to the state’s development. He pledged continuous support to the NYSC to ensure the welfare and safety of all corps members serving in Abia.
Otti thanked the state NYSC leadership for their unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of corps members and noted that many of them could lay the foundations of global enterprises in Abia in the future. He urged corps members to register for the state government’s human capital development programmes, which focus on ICT skills, entrepreneurship, and agriculture for young people with diverse ambitions.
Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs Gladys Adama, commended the governor for his support of the scheme. She appealed for intervention to expedite the beginning and completion of the camp’s second rehabilitation phase.
Adama also urged the governor to fast-track the relocation of the Finbarrs’ Road NYSC State Secretariat, describing the facility as uninhabitable. “This camp still runs on generators around the clock due to lack of electricity from the national grid,” she said. She further requested a coaster bus, a utility vehicle, and an ambulance to improve operational logistics.
It was reported that 1,820 corps members took the oath of allegiance during the ceremony. The oath was administered by the Abia Chief Judge, Justice Lilian Abai, represented by Justice E.C. Anyim.
