The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, says no orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, will be shut down as a result of positive Covid-19 case.
He insisted that care and support will be given to the patient while activities continue, appealing that no one should be stigmatised.
The NCDC helmsman made this assertion during a webinar held for the 2020 Batch ‘B’ prospective corps members getting ready for the mandatory 3-week orientation course.
He revealed the Centre’s preparedness to collaborate with the NYSC in order to ensure that no corps member comes in harm’s way when camping resumes.
Ihekweazu stated that all the prospective corps members and camp officials shall undergo Covid-19 tests in order to ascertain their health status and in the event of anyone testing positive, corps members should not panic as adequate measures have been put in place in all the NYSC camps to manage such case.
He said prevention, detection, and prompt response are germane to the safe reopening of the 37 NYSC orientation camps nationwide as the scheme sets to reopen the facilities on Tuesday, November 10.
He commended the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, for his passion for youths, exemplified by his tenacity of purpose which facilitated the approval for the scheme to resume normal operations.
While noting that Covid-19 curve has continued to flatten in the country, he counselled that it is not yet uhuru, praying the prospective corps members to exercise caution as the deadly virus is still around.
While re-emphasising the need to take personal responsibility, he admonished the webinar participants to desist from keeping aloof and waiting to be goaded before observing the precautionary measures against the dreaded virus. He challenged the participants to be the leader the country needs at this critical time.
Brigadier-General Ibrahim thanked the NCDC DG and his team for working tirelessly to safeguard the health of the nation, stating that there will be zero tolerance for risky behaviour that will compromise the health of the camps.
He also thanked the NCDC for the donation of Personal Protection Equipment, PPE, to the NYSC, pledging to put them to good use.
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He appealed to the webinar participants to eschew fake news and encouraged them to always approach the camp management for clarification on issues of interest.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
