Coronavirus: FG urged to suspend NYSC camps now

By Steve Oni, Ilorin

As a measure to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus currently ravaging the world, the federal government has been admonished to direct the management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to temporarily close all NYSC camps in the country.

A new set of youth corps members is billed to resume next week in all the NYSC camps across the country.

Commending the management of the University of Lagos for placing a temporary suspension on public activities and gatherings at the institution because of the ravaging coronavirus, the National President, Oodua Progressives Care Initiative (OPCI), Dr. Maruff Olarewaju, has urged other institutions of higher learning in the country to follow suit, saying that no stone should be left unturned to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the country.

He said: “If the management of the University of Lagos can temporarily put on hold public activities and gatherings in the institution because of coronavirus in order to curb its escalation, it is not too much for other universities, and indeed all institutions of higher learning across the country to do likewise. As a matter of fact, all NYSC camps in the country also should be temporarily closed pending when the virus will be fully tackled by the federal government in conjunction with the 36 state governments.

He said: “We should learn how to prevent rather than cure when the damage has already been done. Prevention is always better than cure.

“We should not fold our arms and watch the virus kill our youths who are our future glory, and this, I opine, should be done now before we begin to run from pillar to post in search of solution.

“If Saudi Arabia can temporarily stop ‘tawaf’ for non Saudi people because of coronavirus, why can’t Nigeria do the same?

“The federal government should not allow the virus to be added to the already established challenges facing the country; that will be a disaster and a minus for the Buhari administration that is fiercely battling corruption, banditry and insurgency across the country, while also trying to fix the wobbled economy.

“It’s high time all parents and guardians joined hands to prevail on the federal government to stop NYSC camps for now as it will not do us any good if the virus should spread to NYSC camps.