There was an outbreak of serious panic among the staff of the National Youth Service Corps on Tuesday after COVID-19 struck a resident officer dead.
The top officer who was recently posted to the Kano permanent orientation camp in Kano died on Tuesday after developing coronavirus symptoms.
News of his death had made workers of the NYSC in Abuja and orientation camps, particularly in Kano, gripped with fear of contracting the disease.
The Economic Sustainability Committee led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had in June last year called on the Federal Government to consider suspending the NYSC orientation camp exercises for two years.
In a report by The PUNCH the Federal Government on January 16, snubbed the recommendation by re-opening orientation camps nationwide amid rising COVID-19 infections.
According to reports, since reopening the camps, many corps members have tested positive for COVID-19. At the Cross River NYSC camp, 13 corps members were reported to have tested positive on January 25.
The PUNCH also reported that the deceased officer went to Kano State where he represented the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General, Shuaibu Ibrahim.
Emeka Mgbemena, NYSC Deputy Director (Press and Public Relations), confirmed the death of the officer while adding that he died outside the orientation camp.
Another NYSC top official said the officer was tested by doctors and officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control who confirmed that he died as a result of COVID -19.
Speaking, the source said, “The resident officer, who was posted from the NYSC National Headquarters in Abuja to Kano State NYSC permanent orientation camp died early this (Tuesday) morning as a result of COVID-19.
“But very, unfortunately, the NYSC management and the NCDC are trying to hide the case. The officer and representative of the DG was tested by the doctors and the NCDC who confirmed that the officer died as a result of COVID-19 in the camp. Right now, multiple numbers of the NCDC staff are in the camp.”
Another top officer of the service, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said NYSC staff in other camps, who had learnt about the development had started panicking.
Giving more insight into the officer’s death, Mgbemena said, “Indeed, NYSC lost an officer. In keeping with COVID–19 protocols, everyone, including the DG, must subject themselves to COVID-19 test. Only those that test negative are allowed into the camps.
“The officer in question was suspected of COVID-19. Accordingly, the NCDC took over the case. Sadly, he succumbed to the cold hands of death in the course of treatment. It is imperative to state that he did not step into the camp, neither did he die there too. May his soul rest in perfect peace.
“Everybody in the camp, including resource persons, camp market operators were tested for COVID–19. There’s no COVID-19 positive person in the 37 camps of the NYSC nationwide.”
