Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo did not call for the suspension of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Osinbajo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, made this known on Tuesday via his Twitter account, @akandeoj.
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“Important to correct this misleading headline.
“It’s the paramilitary orientation camping that is being considered to be suspended for at least 24 months, NOT deployment to primary assignment ie the longer part of NYSC programme would NOT be affected in case this idea is okayed,” he wrote in reaction to a story published by an online medium that Economic Sustainability Committee, ESC recommended the suspension of NYSC for two years.
The committee in its report submitted by Osinbajo to President Muhammadu Buhari last week, recommended the direct mobilisation of prospective corps members to their places of primary assignment.
It stated that prospective corps members should be made to skip the camping exercise as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The plan recommended the interim suspension of the three-week paramilitary camping that precedes deployment to places of primary assignments.
“The immediate focus in the Education sector is to address the disruptions caused by the pandemic and ensuring social distancing measures at all levels of education.
“Practical steps will be taken to minimise disruption to learning, utilising technology as appropriate.
“Specifically, virtual learning will be implemented (either online or through broadcast), virtual convocation ceremonies or issuance of certificates (with postponed ceremonies) should be implemented to continue educational progression.
“In similar context, consideration will be given to suspending the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp Exercises for at least 24 months while allowing deployments to places of primary assignment.
“This will ensure that there is no backlog in the National Service placement pipeline,” the committee recommended in its report.