The management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abia state said that it has adopted some basic preventive and control measures to checkmate the spread of Coronavirus and Lassa fever inside the Orientation camp.
This is even as visitors to the camp including the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Chris Ezem and other visitors passed through the mandatory health check before they were allowed into the NYSC camp.
Mrs. Bona Fasakin, the Abia NYSC State Coordinator was reported to have stated this during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Umunnaato, Bende Local Government Area.
Fasakin said that some of the measures adopted by the camp officials included the sensitisation of corps members, camp officials and other members of the camp community on the pandemic with the assistance of medical personnel from the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Umuahia.
The State NYSC boss further explained that face masks, hand sanitizers and thermal machines (thermometers) had been acquired and were currently being used in the camp as in other camps throughout the federation.
“Our consultants from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia are with us in this camp carrying out sensitisation on preventive measures inclusive of sundry issues of personal hygiene.
“Also, the camp market operators are adequately enlightened on the need to adhere strictly to basic hygiene,” she said.
The coordinator said that a total of 1,902 corps members were registered for the three-week orientation.
She urged the corps members to be part of the skills acquisition entrepreneurial training and other trainings they would receive.
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu in an address informed the youth corps members that the orientation course was designed to equip them adequately for the task of nation building.
Ikpeazu, represented by Mr. Chris Ezem, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), assured them that the state was safe adding that the people were hospitable too.
“Therefore, it is needless of you asking for relocation, except for life threatening ill health that may require some special attention or on marital grounds,” he said.
The oath of allegiance was administered on the corps members by Justice Thomas Adiele, on behalf of Justice Kalu Ogwe, the Chief Judge of Abia.