Authorities of the National Youth Service Corps have on Friday seized the opportunity of the desire Nigerian graduates have to serve their fatherland compelled them to take the COVID-19 vaccination or forfeit their chances of participation in the compulsory national scheme.
Qualified graduates from various institutions across the country were told on Friday that they would not be allowed into NYSC offices and orientation camps for the 2021 Batch C, Stream II, without valid certificates of vaccination.
Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, declared this during a press briefing in Abuja.
She said: ”Henceforth, each graduate seeking absorption into its orientation exercise must present a certificate of fitness from a government or military hospital affixed with a stamp of the Nigerian Medical Association.
Adeyemi explained that the new policy was to establish the health status of prospective corps members before they are registered for the mandatory national service.
Her words: “Sequel to the recent announcement of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, prospective corps members are to note that effective December 2 2021, they will be required to show evidence of COVID-19 vaccination before they are allowed access into offices and orientation camps. Please note that the presentation of a forged COVID-19 certificate is a criminal offence.
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Pro”Qualified graduates who failed to make themselves available for the one-year national service would be prosecuted in line with the provisions of Section 13 sub-section 1(a) and (b) of the NYSC Act
“In addition, each prospective corps member must present a certificate of fitness from a government or military hospital affixed with NMA stamp showing his or her health status before he or she will be registered.
“Management has put in place adequate machinery to clamp down and prosecute anyone caught.”
She, therefore, charged qualified graduates who wish to be registered for national service not to present any fake document at the orientation camps
