Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Sule Kazaure, has been summoned by members of the House of Representatives to explain the circumstances that led to the death of a corps member at the Kano State NYSC orientation camp.
This followed a motion raised by Olufemi Fakeye, an Osun State lawmaker, the state where Ifedolapo Oledepo, the deceased corps member hails from.
Fakeye in his motion noted that the demise of the 26-year-old Oledepo, a first class graduate of Aviation and Transport Management from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, was avoidable.
According to him, the deceased corps member took ill a few days after arriving at the Orientation Camp and promptly reported the condition to camp authorities. But adequate attention was not given to her as the authorities initially thought she feigned the sickness in order not to take part in the routine strenuous exercises which is part of camp activities.
Fakeye further said that the deceased was eventually admitted to the camp clinic but it appeared the camp clinic was not properly equipped.
“The camp clinic may not have been adequately equipped, as the late Ifedayo was reportedly given some “Placebo” and later injected with some substance, following which a lot of rashes manifested all over her body and her tongue became twisted,” he said.
Contributing to the motion, majority leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the NYSC management should partner with the state governments to construct well-equipped medical facility in each of the orientation camps in the federation.
Gbajabiamila also suggested that all Corps members must be enrolled under a health insurance scheme for the duration of their service year.
He advised that the expenses for the above improvement to the NYSC scheme should be contained in the 2017 budget.
The lawmakers however suggested that corps members should be allowed to take adequate rest at the orientation camps and that the rigours of camp exercise be relaxed.
