The management of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has dismissed a report alleging shortages of food at the orientation camps.
A statement issued by the spokesman for the corps, Eddy Megwa, described the report as a tissue of lies, intending to cause mischief, and generate traffic.
He said it was unfortunate to allege that a state coordinator addressed corps members, and encouraged them to leave the orientation camp because of food shortage.
“Management wishes to state that the story is nothing but a tissue of lies, intended to cause mischief, and generate traffic to the social media handles of the purveyors.
“It is very laughable, absurd, and unfortunate to allege that a State coordinator addressed Corps members, encouraging them to leave the orientation camp because of food shortage.
“Indeed, one with a probing mind will know that the allegation is fallacious, as no State Coordinator of the NYSC, many of whom are of the substantive rank of Deputy Director and have put in over 25 years in service, will utter such a careless, very indicting, and unintelligent statement.
“For the avoidance of doubt and purposes of information, NYSC Orientation Camps are operated under a framework of checks and balances, built on so many layers.
“In each camp, a resident officer is posted from the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Abuja, to assist the camp management run a hitch-free orientation course. He is resident in the camp for all through the three-week duration of the programme.
“Part of their mandate is to ensure that camp managements comply strictly with the laid down policies and rules concerning the feeding of Corps members, among others.
“Officers of the Scheme of the directorate cadre also visit the camps on monitoring duties. They in turn play oversight functions on the resident officers and camp management.
“It is pertinent to state that the ultimate authority in the day-to-day running of the scheme, the Director General, Brig Gen YD Ahmed goes round the NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide with his team, each camping season, primarily to see to the welfare of Corps Members,” he said.
Mr Megwa, however, emphasised that camp markets were highly regulated, so as to prevent the exploitation of corps members by the operators, noting that the markets were not insulated from the vagaries of inclement economic weather, which was of global dimension.
“It is therefore unthinkable and immoral for one to manufacture lies in order to generate traffic for pecuniary benefits, throwing caution to the winds, while mindlessly generating anxiety among the parents and relatives of Corps members.
“NYSC, from the highest echelon of authority to the least, runs an open door policy, and will gladly answer enquiries concerning her operations for clarification.
“Management wishes to advise purveyors of falsehood to kindly refrain from the ignoble act, as their actions inflict incalculable damage to our dear country and the psyche of our people,” the statement added.
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