The Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said its orientation camps will only reopen when it is safe considering the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
In a statement on Thursday, Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi refuted the rumour that the scheme was planning to reopen camps across the country stressing that the scheme is conscious of the safety of corps members, camp officials and other stakeholders.
”The attention of the management of the scheme has been drawn to an online publication stating that the ‘NYSC is set to reopen orientation camps, lists guidelines,’ alluding that the scheme will soon resume orientation programme.
“To put issues in proper perspective, it is appropriate to state that the National Youth Service Corps will only return to the Orientation Camps when it is VERY SAFE to do so, in view of the danger posed by COVID-19 pandemic which is still very formidable.”
“The Scheme places very high premium on the lives of Corps Members, camp officials and other stakeholders which was the key reason it suspended 2020 Batch “A” Stream 1 Orientation Programme in March this year, and shall never act in anyway that will compromise their safety
“It is apt to add that even when it has been sufficiently established it is safe to proceed to the camps for the resumption of normal activities, the corps shall only do so when it has received the nod of the Federal Government,” she said.
Adeyemi added that corps members and prospective corps members are advised to glean information concerning the scheme only from NYSC official sources – both the social and mainstream media.
According to her, the Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, admonished corps members and prospective ones to continue the strict observance of COVID-19 safety protocols, predicated on social and physical distancing.
Others, he said, are wearing of face masks, proper washing of the hands for at least twenty seconds, and the use of hand sanitiser.
