Orientation camp markets regulated, not excluded from harsh economic realities — NYSC

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that although its orientation camp markets are highly regulated, they are not excluded from the current harsh economic realities.

This is coming on the heels of a viral publication, alleging that a certain State Coordinator had addressed Corps Members, encouraging them to leave the Orientation Camp, because of food shortage.

But in a statement issued by the NYSC Spokesperson, Mr Eddy Megwa, the scheme described the report as “fallacious”.

The statement partly reads: “Management wishes to state that the story is nothing but a tissue of lies, intended to cause mischief and generate traffic to the social media handles of the purveyors.

“It is very laughable, absurd, and unfortunate to allege that a State Coordinator addressed Corps Members, encouraging them to leave the Orientation Camp, because of food shortage.

“Indeed, one with a probing mind will know that the allegation is fallacious, as no State Coordinator of the NYSC, many of whom are of the substantive rank of Deputy Director and have put in over 25 years in Service will utter such careless, very indicting and unintelligent statement.”

The NYSC maintained that its orientation Camps are operated under a framework of checks and balances, “built on so many layers”.

It explained, “In each camp is a Resident Officer posted from the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Abuja, to assist the camp management run a hitch-free Orientation Course. He is resident in the camp for all through the three-week duration of the programme.

“Part of their mandate is to ensure that camp managements comply strictly with the laid down policies and rules concerning feeding of Corps Members, among others.

“Officers of the Scheme of the directorate cadre also visit the camps on monitoring duties. They in turn play oversight functions on the Resident Officers and camp managements.”

It further stressed that the ultimate authority in the day-to-day running of the Scheme, the Director General, Brig Gen YD Ahmed goes round the Orientation Camps nationwide with his team, each camping season, primarily to see to the welfare of Corps Members.

However, it noted, ”Camp markets are highly regulated, so as to prevent exploitation of Corps Members by the operators. However, the markets are not insulated from the vagaries of inclement economic weather which is of global dimension.”