There was a palpable fear in the 37 orientation camps of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as reports of the death of a top official of the Scheme, from COVID-19 complications, spread among staff and corps members Tuesday evening and intensified on Wednesday morning.
However, it was gathered that the victim, after testing positive for the virus, was evacuated from the Kano orientation camp located in Karaye and moved to an Isolation facility in Kwanar Dawakin where he passed on days later.
Reacting, NYSC’s Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, on Wednesday, insisted that no staff or corps member, who had tested positive for COVID-19, was allowed into the orientation camp in Kano much less left to die there as reported by some media outlets.
He said, “It’s not true that the NYSC staff died in the camp. In line with the PTF and NCDC guidelines, all prospective corps members and camp officials invited for the ongoing orientation exercise were tested.
“It is mandatory that all must be tested; only those that are negative are allowed into the camp, while those that test positive are taken away by the NCDC and the staff health officials for treatment. That was what happened.
“The staff concerned, just like other prospective corps members and camp officials underwent testing. And when the staff was positive, he was taken away by the NCDC to Kano isolation Centre, where he, unfortunately, passed on… not in the camp.
“So far, we have not recorded any fatalities among our corps members and staff except for this one.”
In the same vein, the Director, Press and Public Relations, NYSC, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, told Vanguard that there was no need for panic among the staff and corps members.
She said, “There is no panic in any of the camps nationwide, and this of course includes Kano where the Resident Officer was posted.
“Please be reminded that the officer was not allowed into the camp and was being treated at the Isolation Centre before his demise.
“NYSC still reiterates that only prospective corps members, and staff, and officials, who tested negative to the administered COVID-19 tests are allowed into the camp.
“The scheme commiserates with the family and we mourn his loss as a colleague and respected member of staff but there is no panic in any camp as a result of his death because he did not come in contact with the camp community, but was, in line with established COVID-19 protocols taken care of by NCDC at the designated Isolation Centre.”
