COVID-19: NYSC proposes camp reopening

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says it has embarked on measures that will ensure safety and efficient operations post COVID-19 restrictions on socio-economic activities in the country.

Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the Director, Press and Public Relations of NYSC, said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

The statement quoted Brg.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, the Director-General of the scheme, saying this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, in Abuja.

Ibrahim informed the NCDC boss that NYSC suspended the 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One Orientation Course just one week into the exercise as a proactive measure to avert the spread of COVID-19 to any of the orientation camps.

He said other operations of the scheme were scaled down in line with the Federal Government’s restrictions order.

Ibrahim said that the passing-out of the 2019 Batch ‘B’ Stream One corps members was low-keyed with full adherence to the COVID-19 prevention protocols.

He said conscious of the possibility of further or complete lifting of lockdown, the strategies mapped out by the NYSC management had taken care of various scenarios, and would be presented to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 through the NCDC for guidance.

The NYSC director-general said the suspended 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One orientation course would be completed, when the scheme received the green light from the PTF.

He also briefed Ihekweazu on the various COVID-19 interventions made by the scheme especially through corps members’ activities all over the country, including sensitisation, production and distribution of face masks.

Others, he said, are liquid soaps, hand sanitiser, automated disinfection chambers as well as automated and foot-operated liquid soap, hand sanitiser and water dispenser.

Ibrahim therefore solicited the PTF’s support in the funding of mass production of the automated disinfection chambers for use in all the NYSC orientation camps.

He commended the NCDC for its role in the overall national efforts at containing the COVID-19.

Responding, Ihekweazu commended NYSC for its support to the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic through corps member’s activities.

He particularly expressed delight at the fabrication of hand washing machines and production of disinfectants among other interventions.

Ihekweazu, who praised the contributions of the scheme to the unity and development of the country, stressed that it deserved every form of support to enable it succeed.

The NCDC boss assured that the proposals presented by the NYSC director-general would be studied and recommendations made to the appropriate authorities.