National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Tuesday, said the suspended 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One Orientation Course which was suspended due to Coronavirus pandemic would be completed when the Scheme received the green light from the Presidential Task Force (PTF).
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.
The Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim stated this during a courtesy visit to his counterpart of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, in Abuja, Guardian reports.
He said conscious of the possibility of the 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.
Ibrahim said other operations of the Scheme were scaled down in line with the Federal Government’s restrictions order, adding 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 also briefed his host on the various COVID-19 interventions made by NYSC, especially through Corps members’ activities all over the country, including sensitization; production and distribution of face masks, liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, automated disinfection chambers; as well as automated and foot-operated liquid soap, hand sanitizer and water dispenser.
Ibrahim 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.
In his response, the NCDC Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, commended NYSC for its support to the fight against the coronavirus through Corps member’s activities. He particularly expressed delight at the fabrication of handwashing machines and production of disinfectants amongst 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 to succeed.
He said the proposals presented by the Director-General would be studied and recommendations made to the appropriate authorities.
