By Ezeocha Nzeh
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has dismissed reports that it has postponed the 2020 Batch “A” orientation course for prospective corps members due to the recent confirmation of an index case of coronavirus in Lagos.
The Corps in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, in Abuja, maintained that the exercise would take place as earlier announced; stressing that proactive measure had been put in place to ensure corps members who are mobilised for the course are protected from contracting the virus while in camp.
It described the reports as a hoax circulated by mischief makers to cause panic among prospective corps members.
The statement read: “The attention of the Management of National Youth Service Corps has been drawn to a false and very misleading story circulating on the social media making allusion to the postponement of the 2020 Batch “A” Orientation programme, scheduled to commence nationwide on 10th March, 2020, arising from the Coronavirus scare.
“Management of the Scheme wishes to assure Nigerians, especially the Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) that like it happened during the outbreak of Ebola virus, a hemorrhagic fever with devastating consequences, the Corps has been in in liaison with the Federal Ministry of Health
“As a proactive action, it has put in place certain preventive measures in the 37 Orientation Camps of the Scheme, in order to guard against the contraction of the highly contagious virus by the Corps Members. “In addition to the above strategy, the NYSC Secretariats had since stepped up the sensitization of serving Corps Members, as well as other Nigerians on things to know about the virus, particularly the preventive measures to be adopted. “Accordingly, Management wishes to emphatically state that the Orientation Course for the 2020 Batch “A” Corps Members shall hold nationwide as earlier publicised.
