The isolated corps members had said in a news report that they were abandoned by Jigawa State NYSC, even after being isolated for 14 days without showing any symptom of the virus.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has debunked claims that some of its corps members who tested positive for COVID-19 in Jigawa State have been abandoned at the state’s isolation centre.
The isolated corps members had said in a news report that they were abandoned by Jigawa State NYSC, even after being isolated for 14 days without showing any symptom of the virus.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi, denied that the corps members had been abandoned at the centre.
She said the NYSC Jigawa Secretariat, Jigawa State Government and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have been in constant touch with the corps members regarding their welfare and care.
Adeyemi also urged the affected corps members to exercise patience.
The statement reads, "The attention of NYSC Management has been drawn to the above report circulating on the social media.
"Management wishes to state emphatically that the story is inaccurate, and does not in any way represent the true position of things concerning either the corps members in reference, or prospective corps members earlier quarantined in other isolation centres for testing positive for COVID-19.
"To put the issues raised in proper perspective, some corps members of the 2020 Batch "A" deployed to Jigawa State, who had to return to the orientation camp to conclude the orientation programme earlier truncated in March this year, arising from the coronavirus pandemic tested positive for the dreaded virus upon being tested at the camp. [story_link align="left"]88410[/story_link]
"It is pertinent to state that before admission into any NYSC camp, both the prospective corps members or corps members as the case may be; and camp officials must undergo COVID-19 test.
"Those that tested negative were allowed into the camps, while cases of those that tested positive are handled by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)."
"The Jigawa corps members that tested positive for the virus were taken to the state's isolation centre for treatment and care.
"It is important to disclose that the NYSC Jigawa Secretariat, Jigawa State Government and NCDC have been in constant touch with the corps members on their welfare and care.
"However, there have been agitations by some of them that want to leave the isolation centre to reunite with their families because of the festivities but were turned down until they are certified okay by the NCDC.
"The management appeals to the concerned to be patient as all that the NCDC is doing is for their interest and that of other Nigerians.
"For the promotion of balanced and fair reportage, the management wishes to appeal to the media which it holds in very high esteem as invaluable partners to always crosscheck issues of this nature with NYSC Management, Jigawa State Government and the NCDC."
Some corps members in Jigawa State who allegedly tested positive for COVID-19 had allegedly been abandoned at the state’s isolation centre.
The corps members in isolation at Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital, Dutse, had said, “We were to return to camp on the 15th of this month (December) but they conducted COVID-19 test and said we were positive.
“We have been in the isolation centre for 14 days now without showing any symptoms. The pain of celebrating Christmas here can’t be described; they said Jigawa State doesn’t adopt the method of releasing COVID-19 patient after 14 days without symptoms,” one of them said.
The Jigawa State government had on December 15, 2020 announced it discovered eight new cases of COVID-19 among members of the NYSC posted to the state.