The National Youth Service Corps has begun plans to reopen orientation camps across the country after they were shut as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
In a statement on Wednesday, spokesperson of the scheme Adenike Adeyemi said the NYSC submitted a proposal for the reopening of orientation camps which was part of the scheme’s preparedness for post-COVID-19 operations.
The statement quoted Shuaibu Ibrahim, director-general of the scheme, as saying this during a courtesy visit to Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Ibrahim informed the NCDC boss that the scheme 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 activities of the scheme, including passing-out of the 2019 Batch ‘B’ Stream One corps members, were low-keyed with full adherence to the COVID-19 prevention protocols.
The NYSC boss said the proposal would be presented to the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 through the NCDC for guidance.
He added that the suspended 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One orientation course would be completed when the scheme received the green light from the PTF.
Ibrahim 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.
He, however, called for the PTF’s support in the funding of mass production of the automated disinfection chambers for use in all the NYSC orientation camps.
Responding, Ihekweazu commended NYSC for its support to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic through corps members’ activities.
The NCDC boss also assured that the proposals presented by the NYSC DG would be studied and recommendations made to the appropriate authorities.
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