The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has said it embarked on measures that will ensure safe and efficient operations post COVID-19 restrictions on socio-economic activities in the country.
The NYSC Director, of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
The statement quoted the Director-General of the Scheme, Brg.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, saying this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, in Abuja.
Ibrahim told the NCDC DG that NYSC suspended the 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One Orientation Course just a week into the exercise as a proactive measure to avert the spread of the deadly Coronavirus disease to any of the orientation camps.
The NYSC DG said other operations of the scheme were scaled down in line with the Federal Government’s restrictions order.
He said that the passing out of the 2019 Batch ‘B’ Stream One corps members was on a low key with full adherence to the COVID-19 prevention protocols.
Ibrahim 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 on COVID-19, PTF, through the NCDC for guidance.
The NYSC boss said the suspended 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One orientation course will be completed when the scheme received the go ahead from the PTF.
Furthermore, Ibrahim briefed Ihekweazu on the various coronavirus interventions made by the scheme especially through corps members’ activities all over the country, including sensitisation, production and distribution of face masks.
He said, others, are liquid soaps, hand sanitiser, automated disinfection chambers as well as automated and foot-operated liquid soap, hand sanitiser and water dispenser.
The NYSC boss, therefore, solicited the support of the PTF in the funding of mass production of the automated disinfection chambers for use in all the NYSC orientation camps.
Ibrahim also commended the NCDC for its role in the overall national efforts at containing the COVID-19.
In his response, Ihekweazu commended NYSC for its support to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic through activities of corps members.
Particularly, he expressed delight at the fabrication of handwashing machines and production of disinfectants amongst other interventions.
The NCDC boss, 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.
Ihekweazu, assured that the proposals presented by the Director-General of the NYSC, would be studied and recommendations made to the appropriate authorities.
