It’s
been a year since National Youth Service Corps member Samuel Odih was
almost killed in a machete attack by a pupil of a school in Imo State.
He narrates his ordeal toMOTUNRAYO ABODERIN
If
Samuel Odih, a National Youth Service Corps member in 2012, was to
turn back the hands of time, taking part in the nation-wide compulsory
youth service scheme is a part of his life that he want to erase. He
wishes he never took part in the exercise after a life-threatening
experience in Imo State, where he served the nation as a corps member.
The
Delta State-born former students of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun
State, was reluctant to proceed to Umuguna in Imo State, where he was
posted for the service year after his university education, but he had
to go.
“I
was posted to Umuguma in Imo State for my NYSC. At first, when I got my
letter, I didn’t feel too good about the fact that I would be far away
from my parents. But, I kept reassuring myself that it wouldn’t be too
long before I returned home. I thought within myself that it was better
than being posted to one of the states with security challenges,” says
Odih, who later came close to losing his life in the community where he
served.
“I
had prayed against being posted to some of the states where religious
problems have led to the death of innocent souls including some youth
corps members.So, being posted to Imo State was not really bad because
the state is peaceful. I never thought of being attacked, getting
injured or coming close to losing my life. I also looked forward to
getting a job and starting a new life after the service,” he adds.
Odih, 23, was however wrong in his assessment. Teaching was his preferred
primary assignment after the orientation camp. He got his wish as he was
posted to a secondary school in Umuguma.
“After
settling down in the camp, it was time for us to kick off our Community
Development Service. I opted to teach because I loved the fact that I
would be imparting knowledge in the leaders of tomorrow. I was then sent
to Ara Secondary School, Umuguma, to teach J.S.S.1, 2 and 3 students
HIV/AIDS awareness,” he says.
Filled
with joy, Odih resumed at the school in January 2012. It was a smooth
tale until two months after when things went awry when he was allegedly
attacked by a pupil.
“On
March 8, 2012, I went to the school for my usual CDS. Some students
were making a noise at the back of the class but I tried to ignore it,
thinking that as time went on, we would get to know ourselves better.
But when the noise became unbearable, I told the pupils to concentrate
or leave the class. But some of them stood at the window of the class
and continued their discussion; they were disturbing the class. I asked
them to leave the class but one of the pupils refused to leave. I
threatened to report him to the school authority, so he reluctantly
left,” he stated. But that peace was temporary.
He
said, “I was backing the class when I heard an unusual noise among the
pupils. Apparently, some of them were trying to warn me of imminent
danger by calling my name but by the time I looked back, it was too
late. I was hit with a cutlass at the side of my head. I fell to the
ground bleeding profusely. I fainted.”
Odih
said he was taken to the Imo State Specialist Hospital where he was
told that he cheated death because the cutlass missed his brain by a few
inches.
“I underwent numerous surgeries because the cut was very deep. The doctor said I was lucky to be alive,” he stated.
Odih was not alone in the misery. His parents became depressed and saddened by the attack on their son.
“When
my mum heard the news, she just burst out in tears. She was
traumatised. She couldn’t hold herself. She was disturbed emotionally as
she could not hear my voice for about two days. She refused to eat or
sleep until she saw me in the hospital. She went to the orientation
camp and requested for my redeployment but her request was turned down.”
His
travail was not over as he was left alone with the NYSC officials
allegedly relunctant to visit him. When the zonal coordinator eventually
did, settling the hospital bill became an issue.
“It
was only after my mother visited the orientation camp that the NYSC
coordinator, Mrs. Chinwe Ojukwu, paid me a visit at the hospital. She
deposited about N30,000 for my hospital bill. Meanwhile, the total bill
including travelling expenses for my parents was over N100,000,” Odih
said, adding that Ojukwu did not pay him another visit on his hospital
bed.
“My
parents had to struggle to pay the bill. It wasn’t easy for them and I
felt bad,” he stated. But Odih was not entirely lucky as the injury left
an indelible damage to his life.
“As
a result of the injury, I lost sense of touch on my hands, I experience
frequent memory loss and phobia for sharp objects. I had to visit LUTH
for medical examination and did a Brain CT scan when I had difficulties
in writing and spelling words. I also developed itches on the injury
spot and constant pain.”
The victim of machete attack is calling on the NYSC to pay back the balance of the hospital bill to his parents.
“My
parents should not be responsible for the bill. NYSC should pay them
back the money. Corps members should have an insurance cover in case of
incidents like this. It’s not right that nothing is being done about my
case.
“The
incident happened while I was serving. NYSC is meant to pay for my
hospital bills. I have made several calls to the coordinator; I have
sent several text messages to her. I wrote a letter and attached
receipts of the expenses to it but I have not heard from the NYSC,” he
said.
The
Public Relations Officer, Imo State NYSC, Mr. Orunta Ugo, however said
officials of the scheme visited Odih many times while he was in the
hospital. He added that Odih’s parents later took him to Lagos for
further treatment.
Ugo
stated, ‘‘ Odih’s parents later fsent us the bill of over N100,000 as
the cost for his treatment in Lagos. We have sent it to the national
secretariat in Abuja for approval. His allowance was paid even though
he was not around. Also, Ben Aboh, who is the inspector in the local
council area where Odih served, visited him many times in the hospital
before he was moved to Lagos.’’
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