NYSC reschedules orientation camp for Bayelsa, Yobe, Borno.

The aftermath of flooding and insecurity in some Northern state has  made the management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced the postponement of orientation course for the 2012 Batch ‘C’ corps members posted to Bayelsa, Yobe and Borno States.The Deputy Director, Publications of the NYSC, Mr. Peter Atilola, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja. Atilola said the Bayelsa orientation was postponed due to the recent flood in the state, and the subsequent accommodation of displaced victims in the NYSC orientation camp in Kaiama.

According to him, the orientation will now commence from Nov. 28 to Dec. 19 at the NYSC orientation camp in Kaiama Grammar School, Kolokoma-Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

He said that the postponement in Borno and Yobe States was for security reasons.

The corps members posted to Borno State will camp at the Benue orientation camp at Wanune, Tarka Local Government Area.

Yobe State corps members will camp at the Keffi camp in Nasarawa State, both camps will commence on Nov. 28 and end on Dec. 19.’’

He urged the affected corps members to take note of the new date and report to the camp unfailingly.

NAN reports that NYSC had slated Nov. 6 to Nov. 27 for the orientation activities for other states in the country.

Atilola assured corps members that the NYSC was collaborating with all states, local government areas and security agencies, to provide adequate security and protection for them and their properties.

Apart from provision of security tips handbook, corps members are also being trained on martial arts to defend themselves when the need arises.

The corps members are also given contacts of Local Government Chairman, Divisional Police Officers, State Security Service Officers and other individuals, in case there is need.

This is as it added that the camps for those posted to the remaining 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would open on November 6, 2012.

The NYSC in a statement issued in Abuja, Wedneday, by its Head of Press and Public Relations Unit, Mrs. Abosede Aderibigbe, said logistics and the safety of corps members were taken into consideration to arrive at such decision.

The statement read:  “The postponement for Bayelsa State is as a result of the recent flooding in the state and the subsequent accommodation of displaced victims at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kaiama.

It noted that the security situations of the other two states informed the decision of the NYSC to allow the state governments adequately prepare for the corps members.
“Corps members deployed to all the three states of Bayelsa, Borno and Yobe will have their orientation course from Wednesday,  November 28, 2012 to Wednesday, December 19, 2012.

For corps members posted to Borno and Yobe States, their orientation will hold at Wunene in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State; and Magaji Dan Yamusa in Keffi, Nasarawa State respectively while those posted to Bayelsa would hold their orientation at the NYSC camp at Kaiama Grammar School, Kolokoma-Opokuman Local Government Area of Bayelsa State,” the statement said.

Although the statement was silent on redeployment, it was gathered that the NYSC, just like it did after the posting of batch ‘B’ corps members, would likely entertain applications for redeployment from states considered as volatile.

This would however be shrouded under the veil of redeployment on executed grounds of marriage or health reasons.