The University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has declared a seven-day mourning for the prospective National Youths Service Corp members who died in a motor accident along Kwali Abaji road on their way to Katsina State.
The victims, who were graduates of both the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic and the University of Uyo, were; Upper Innocent Peter and Akpan Victor Joseph, graduates of Mass Communication, with Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic; Asuquo Miracle Effiong, graduate of Psychology; Ekikoh Stella Sylvester, graduate of Sociology and Anthropology and Ezuruike Coleman Chikwado graduate of History And International Studies all of the University of Uyo.
The Registrar of the University, Aniediabasi Udofia, in a statement explained that the week-long mourning started Thursday, July, 29 to Wednesday, August 4, 2021, adding that flags in all the campuses would be flown at half-mast.
The statement read in parts, ” the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Nyaudoh Ndaeyo has declared Thursday, July 29- Wednesday, August 04, 2021, for the mourning and ordered the University flags in all the campuses to be flown at half-mast.
“This is to inform the University community that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Nyaudoh Ndaeyo has declined seven days of mourning for the UNIUYO graduates who lost their lives in a ghastly motor accident in the course of their deployment for the NYSC in Katsina.
“The seven days of mourning start from Thursday, July 29, to Wednesday, August 04, 2021. All University flags in all the campuses are to be flown at half-mast, while the staff and students and other stakeholders are enjoined to identify with the University in these trying moments of the painful demise of our budding youths who were on national assignment.”
One of the survivors of the road accident which claimed the lives of the five young Nigerians who were on their way to participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) has revealed what went wrong inside the commercial bus before the incident.
The driver had fallen asleep on the car steering wheel, she said.
The bus was travelling at night from Uyo, Nigeria’s South-south, to Katsina, in the North-west region, when the accident occurred along Abuja-Abaji-Kwali Expressway on Wednesday around 4 a.m.
Four of the victims were from Akwa Ibom State, while one was from Imo State.
Meanwhile, the NYSC Director-General, Shuaibu Ibrahim, visited Uyo on Thursday to commiserate with the Akwa Ibom State Government and the families of the late corps members.
Mr Ibrahim, a brigadier-general, said of the incident, “Yesterday was a black Wednesday in NYSC. We woke up with the sad news that five of our corps members lost their lives along the Abuja-Abaji-Kwali Expressway.
“I had to rush down to the hospital to really confirm if it was true, and at last, it was true.
“We are completely devastated and diminished because as parents we know what it takes to train a child to this level.”
He said the late corps members were “patriotic Nigerians”.
He, however, advised corps members against travelling at night.
The Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, while receive the NYSC director-general sent his condolences to the families of the late corps members.
