NYSC offers ex-member N100,000 for loss of limb

A former corps member, Emmanuel
Unogu, has been offered N100,000 by
the National Youth Service Corps for the
loss of his right leg during the service
year.
Unogu, who served with the Urueffong/
Oruka Local Government, Akwa Ibom
State in 2008, was involved in an auto
accident, which later led to the loss of
his leg.
PUNCH Metro had reported on April 18,
2013 that Unogu was involved in the
accident while on his way to Oron on
October 26, 2008.
Although the state's NYSC authorities
were said to have been aware of the
accident, Unogu allegedly did not
receive proper medical attention.
By the time he contacted his father who
took him to the Federal Medical Centre,
Owerri, Imo State, Unogu's broken leg
had been infected with gangrene. The
leg was later amputated due to the
infection.
It was learnt that the NYSC eventually
called the former corps member in
February 2014 to intimate him of the
organisation's plan.
Unogu said, "After my lawyer had
written many times to the NYSC, I got a
call from them for the first time last
month. A woman from the NYSC office
Abuja told me that she wanted to
confirm my identity. She told me that I
would be paid N100,000 as
compensation.
"Another person called me three weeks
later to say that a cheque of N100,000
was being prepared and asked me for
an account number that it would be paid
into.
"Last week, another man called again.
He said I should expect the cheque this
week. I asked the man what the
cheque was for; was the NYSC paying
for the amputation of my leg or was the
money meant to acquire a prosthetic
leg?
"When I began to question the man, he
had no reply. He just sympathised with
me and asked me to take heart."
In response to Unogu's enquiries in
2008, the London Prosthetic Center had
sent an estimate of £4,000 for a
prosthetic leg, excluding transport.
Unogu's lawyer, Mr. Benjamin Odeh,
told PUNCH Metro that copies of the
correspondence with the prosthetic
hospital were attached to the letters
sent to the NYSC office in Abuja
concerning Unogu.
Already, the Akwa Ibom secretariat of
the NYSC was said to have given
N290,000 to Unogu as a refund on the
amount he incurred as medical
expenses while on admission at the
FMC, Owerri.
Unogu said, "I was told by the NYSC,
Akwa Ibom, after they refunded my
medical expenses, that the rest was left
for Abuja. But from the look of things, I
don't think the NYSC national secratariat
is going to do anything reasonable. What
I need now is the funds to get a
prosthetic leg so I can live a normal
life."
Odeh expressed his disappointment at
the N100, 000 that was offered as
compensation to the former corps
member.
He said, "It is unthinkable that a youth
that was compulsorily enrolled to serve
his country and lost his limb in the
process, is being offered N100,000.
"What exactly is the money for? Is
Unogu being paid for the amputation?
As it is, we intend to file a suit against
the Federal Government. The Attorney
General of the Federation and the NYSC
will be joined in the suit for the
injustice Unogu has suffered."
When the Assistant Director, Press, of
the NYSC, Mr. Edie, was contacted, he
said, "Has the person been paid? If he
has not, then there is not much I can
say. However, I am currently away from
Abuja; I will be back next week. By
then, I will be able to give you an
informed response."