COVID-19: Over 66,000 Graduates May Miss NYSC Orientation Camping – Report


There is a growing concern that not less than 66,000 graduates of higher institutions of learning may miss the Orientation Course of the National Youth Service, NYSC, due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Recall that the Economic Sustainability Committee, ESC, led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had recently called for the suspension of all NYSC orientation camps for two years, due to COVID-19 protocol which demands social distancing.

It was gathered that if President Muhammadu Buhari approves the recommendation of the committee, about 66,000 candidates who are due to be mobilized by the NYSC for the Batch A, Stream Two, orientation camp exercise will be affected.

Speaking with PRNigeria, the Executive Secretary of the NYSC Foundation, Ventim Bako, stated that suspending orientation camps poses ‘grave’ danger, which according to him could affect the capacity of corps members at their various places of primary assignments, PPAs.

According to Mr Bako, the VP and members of the ESC must have offered the suggestion with the best of intention, which is to protect lives and also to contain COVID-19.

“However, within the context of the statutory mandate of NYSC and the activities that normally precede the deployment of corps members, we appeal to government to have a rethink about the proposal.

“This is simply because you cannot bring out fresh graduates from universities and polytechnics and just unleash them on the society for primary assignments.

“To deploy corps members to various places of PPAs without basic tools and the requisite training in an orientation exercise, is going to be a great disservice to the capacity of the corps members.

“This will certainly affect their capacity to deliver and perform efficiently,” the NYSC Foundation boss noted.

He also pointed out that the NYSC Director General, Ibrahim Shuaibu, had recently put in place a structure that encourages corps members in providing supports services in managing COVID-19.

“We have seen the contribution of corpers in managing the coronavirus through fabrication of tools, production of face-mask and sanitizers while medical corps members are actively engaged in hospital and medical facilities treating patients after their orientation training in the camps.

“There is no way the management of the Scheme will now allow its own corps members to become vulnerable to the pandemic or to the society.

Meanwhile, the management of the scheme had last week submitted a proposal and guideline on requirement for reopening the camps nationwide once the government gave the directive.

 The proposal which was submitted to the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, in Abuja was part of the scheme’s preparedness for post-COVID-19 operations.

The proposal provides guidance and plan to create more orientation centres in the 36 States, while also staggering the Batches and Streams of camping activities.

The suspended 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One orientation course would be completed when the scheme received the green light from the presidential task force, PTF, on COVID-19.

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