COVID-19: NYSC orientation camps are safe ― Reps Committee

The House of Representatives Committee on Youths Development, on Wednesday, declared that all the
Orientation Camps of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, across the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja are saved for the Corps members and their Officials and dismissed reported cases of Corps members being tested Positive of the dreaded COVID-19 Virus.

Speaking after the members of the Committee toured around the FCT NYSC Orientation Camp, located at Kubwa, Abuja, its Chairman, Hon. Yemi Adaramodu( APC-EKITI), declared that there was no cause for concern, as all the COVID-19 Protocols were being strictly observed by both the Corps members and the Camps’ Officials, right front point of entrances.

Hon Adamodu stated that the reports reaching the Committee from the field, indicated that all the guidelines and protocols set to check the spread of the virus, were being observed religiously at the Orientation camps and which were being supervised by the officials of the National Centre For Disease Control, NCDC and Medical officials for Safety Protocols.

According to the protocols directives, “all Corps members must wear a facemask, wash their hands properly with running water and soap, dry their hands with disposable tissue papers, thereafter, they will proceed for the COVID-19 Virus test being carried out by NCDC team in collaboration with the Corps Medical officials and the results are released immediately.”

“At this point, anyone that is positive will be isolated for necessary medical care, no one is allowed into the Orientation Camps, being a Corps member or official without undergoing the laid down protocols, once the result turns out to be positive, you will be taken to the designated isolation centre to be quarantined by the NCDC team.”

“I and the committee members are always in constant touch with the Director-General of the scheme, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim and there has not been a single case of the Virus in any of the Orientation camps across the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja since the Orientation exercise kicked off.

“On this note, the Committee and by extension the National Assembly is reassuring that there is no course for alarm on the safety of the corps members and the camps officials, based on safety protocols already on the ground at the Orientation camps and we are also in constant touch with our Senate counterparts on Youths Development Committee. We will also be going around the states to monitor the situation by ourselves.”

It was reported that 48 corps members tested positive of the dreaded COVID-19 at ongoing NYSC Orientation Camps in Edo, Niger and Sokoto States respectively.

Speaking on the plan to further strengthen the scheme, Hon Adaramodu hinted that the National Assembly will be collaborating with the Ministry of Youths Development to institute Trust Funds for the scheme since over 65 per cent of the Nation’s population were youths.

According to him, “records show that over 400,000 Youths participate in the scheme every year and there’s the need to make adequate provisions for them to keep the scheme running smoothly, the Trust will also provide seed finds for Corps members to start their own business ideas acquired during the entrepreneurship training at the orientation camps.

“This became necessary because the Scheme has come to stay, it is only the avenue that brings together all Nigerians from different religions, ethnic and social backgrounds for a whole year, even after the Service year, majority of the Youths normally find it difficult go back to their States of Origin.”

Hon Adaramodu expressed satisfaction with the conducive atmosphere at the FCT orientation in which all the Corps members were engaged learning various skills at the various Skills Acquisition Centres provided at the orientation Camp and urged them to take the skills acquisition programme very serious as the Committee would be ready to assist serious-minded ones amongst them once the Trust Funds was established to set their own business outfits.

He equally promised that the committee would interface with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Mallam Musa Bello Mohammed on the need to put in place the necessary facilities at the orientation camp, saying that the current situation on the ground was below standard.

In his brief remark, the NYSC FCT Coordinator, Alhaji Abdul Suleman said that the visit would further boost the morale of the corps members and the camp officials despite all odds.

He said that the corps members have been disciplined since arrival at Camp and that the FCT administration had been supportive of the but pleaded that there was the need to provide more infrastructural facilities at the orientation Camp to make life more comfortable for the Corps members during their short stay.

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