Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps, NYSC has directed all State Coordinators including the Federal Capital Territory to ensure strict compliance with COVID -19 Prevention and Safety Protocols in all Camps and other formations across the country.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim gave the directive while interacting with the management of the Scheme and officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC during a virtual meeting held as part of preparations for the conduct of the forthcoming Batch “B” Stream II Orientation Course scheduled to commence on the 19th of January 2021.
According to a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the NYSC, Adenike Adeyemi, the Director-General noted that Corps members are critical change agents in national development agenda as their potentials will continue to be effectively harnessed in the health, education and other sectors of the national economy.
“Necessary facilities that will enhance compliance with COVID-19 Prevention and Safety Protocols have been provided in the camps while Prospective Corps Members and camp officials will all be subjected to COVID-19 tests as a precondition for entry into the Orientation Camps,“ he said.
General Ibrahim also said that Corps Vanguards and enforcement teams have been constituted for all the Camps, as a measure to ensure strict compliance, as well as support the national response efforts in stemming the tide of the new wave of the Pandemic.
He expressed gratitude to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), for considering re-opening of the Orientation Camps.
The NCDC team led by Dr. Oyeladun Okunromade in their various presentations described the NYSC’s response to COVID-19 pandemic as a functional model, currently being considered for replication in other sectors to enhance community testing, thus, safeguarding the health of the nation.
Dr. Okunromade expressed satisfaction with the facilities put in place to enhance compliance with the COVID-19 Prevention and Safety Protocols in the previous Orientation programmes and called for increased vigilance and cooperation to consolidate the success already recorded for subsequent Orientation exercises.
PIAK
