By; JOSHUA I. EGBODO, Abuja.
The House of Representatives has summoned Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Sule Kazaure to explain the cause of death of some corps members in camp recently with a view to forestalling future recurrence.
The House has also mandated its Committees on Youth Development and Healthcare Services to investigate and recommend for prosecution, any personnel found wanting in the events that led to their death.
This followed a motion entitled “Unfortunate and Avoidable Death of Late Miss Ifedolapo Rachael Oladepo, a Corp Member at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Kano State” sponsored by Mr. Olufemi Fakeye at plenary of the House yesterday.
Fakeye explained that late Oladepo became sick a few days after her report to the orientation camp on Friday, November 25th and reported her condition to the camp authorities who thought she was feigning sickness in order to avoid routine exercise.
According to him, late Miss Oladepo was admitted at the unequipped Camp clinic said to be under supervision of an NYSC doctor supported by NYSC nurses as she was reportedly given some placebo and later injected with some substance that led to the twist of her tongue and the manifestation of rashes all over her. “Because Oladepo’s medical condition did not improve many hours after being admitted at the clinic, she was belatedly evacuated to another hospital where she reportedly died”, he lamented.
Contributing to the debate, Leader of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajebiamila, said that “this is one but too many deaths that should not be overlooked”.
He said that all involved in the negligence of the act including the Director General should appear before the Committees on Healthcare Services, Youths Development and Justice, adding that the NYSC should work with the 36 States governments and the Federal Capital Territory to built orientation camps with better health care services fully equipped in the country and ensure its inclusion in the 2017 budget.
Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye expressed bitterness over the high death record of Corp members since the establishment of the NYSC programme.
“We are loosing future leaders in the scheme due to harsh treatment by soldiers giving these training. We should look for a way that government will give these Corp members their entitlement when they are unable to go to orientation camp”, he stated.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, therefore referred the motion to the committees for compliance and report back to the house within four weeks, as minute silence was observed in honour of the departed Corps Members.
