Corps members have decried what they described as poor state of facilities and inadequate infrastructures at the permanent orientation camp in Kaduna state.
The corps members, in a letter addressed to Governor Nasir El-Rufai and read on Monday before the guests at the closing ceremony of 2018 batch ‘B’ (Stream II) joint orientation course for corps members deployed to Kaduna and Niger States, expressed their dissatisfaction over the state of the facilities at the camp ground.
The letter, which was signed by leaders of the 10 platoons on camp and read by their representative, Ejokobo Loveth Avurakoghina, stated that what they had experienced within the 21 days of their stay on camp was different from what their predecessors told them about the Kaduna camp popularly known as black gold.
“Our expectation as to what a camp environment should look like is not what we met when we came into Kaduna State camp. The multiple purpose hall is too congested to accommodate the large number of corps members.
“This exposes us to sun during lectures and other social activities. Also, more hostels are obviously needed just as the existing ones are nearly inhabitable due to the dilapidating state of some of the structures,” she said.
The corps members also complained about the poor medical facilities which included the pulse oximeter and oxygen cylinder, among others.
Earlier in her remark, the NYSC coordinator in Kaduna, Hajiya Walida Siddique Isa, blamed the limited number of corps members deployed to the state to inadequate accommodation.
She said the state has the capability to absorb more than 5,000 corps members per batch but due to inadequate infrastructures, it can only accommodate a maximum of 2,600.
She therefore appealed to the state government to construct additional hostels to accommodate the expected increase in the number of corps members deployed to serve in the state.
Responding, the commissioner for Youth, Sports and Culture, Daniel Dan-Auta, who represented Governor El-Rufai at the occasion promised to deliver the corps members’ letter to the governor.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of the state government to building more blocks of hostels and provision of adequate facilities to accommodate corps members deployed to the state.