By Auwal Mohammad
Gombe (Nigeria) — There is fear and panic among the 2017 Batch ‘A’ Stream II, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members currently in Camp in Gombe State over possible outbreak of diseases.This is because of the poor sanitary condition of the temporary camp at Amada, along Gombe – Bauchi highway.
The Corps members are calling on the state government to intervene before the condition deteriorates beyond salvage point.
According to the Corps Members, who spoke on condition of anonymity three days after the camp was declared open, the camp was not conducive for habitation, due to lack of portable water and other essential sanitary need, as they use pit toilet, which poses threat to their health.
Our investigation reveals that the authorities of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have appealed to the state government to speed up work at the alternative temporary orientation camp at Doho in Kwami local government area of the state.
Today, Gombe state is not able to receive the approved 3,500 Corps Members posted to it in each stream, because of the size and condition of the temporary camp, which cannot accommodate more than 1, 500 youth.
When approached, State Coordinator of NYSC, Ibeh Chidube, said, “Because of the condition of our camp, the Corps Members that were supposed to be in Gombe are posted to other states,” he said.
Chidube said lack of facilities in the temporary camp, classrooms and offices were converted to Hostels; even as the same classroom is used for male and female clinic ward.
He also said they (NYSC) buy water because there is a serious problem of potable water in the camp, as well as poor sanitary condition.
“This is a secondary school, whenever there is camp, we dislodge the children and it is not good for the development of education in the state,” he added.
Also speaking the Chairman NYSC Governing Council, Daniel Musa, said the state government was working towards providing an alternative orientation camp at Doho Community in Kwami LGA.
Chairman, House Committee on Youth Development, Hon. Segun Adekola during an inspection tour to the NYSC camp described it as inhabitable and also expressed concern over low commitment of the state government to Corps members deployed to it.
The State was expected to receive 3,500 Corps members, but only 1,664 corps members, comprising of 300 females, were registered as at the time of swearing-in last Friday.
The permanent orientation camp built by immediate past governor of the State, Mohammed Danjuma Goje in Malam Sidi town, was volunteered to the Federal Government by the present Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo for de-radicalisation of Boko Haram members.
The State Government is yet to build a new one.
