COVID-19: FG Snubs Osinbajo As NYSC Open Orientation Camps

The Federal Government has snubbed a recommendation by the Economic Sustainability Committee led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Naija News reports that the snub was done following the decision of the federal government to re-open orientation camps nationwide next Tuesday amid rising COVID-19 infections.

Recall that the Osinbajo-led committee had in June 2020 recommended that while the NYSC programme could continue, the three-week orientation exercise should be suspended for two years.

Speaking to The Punch, a top health official claimed the increase in activities including the re-opening of NYSC camps and the #EndSARS protests contributed to the spike in COVID-19 cases which has now exceeded 100,000.

He said, “The whole world knows that increased human interactions lead to an increase in COVID-19 infections. Even in the UK and the USA, schools have been re-opened and shut at different times but the key thing is to reduce human interaction as much as possible.

“The truth is that re-opening of NYSC camps is avoidable. Corps members could have been given virtual orientation lectures and posted to their places of primary assignment. That was what the Vice-President’s committee recommended. There is no way these camps will not record infections.

“Will there not be human interactions? Wouldn’t there be physical activities, sports or marching parades? Would corps members be wearing masks inside the hostels?”

Also speaking on Osinbajo’s recommendation, a top presidential aide said he had no clue as to why the recommendation was ignored.

“We are all surprised that the NYSC is going ahead with re-opening orientation camps at a time when infections are increasing. It is completely avoidable because the orientation can be done online and corps members can get their postings afterwards,” the aide said.