The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Federal Government to improve the living conditions at the National Youth Service Corps orientation camps across the country.
The House also mandated its Committee on Youth Development to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a corps member, Amadi Ichechukwu, in Kwara in April and others who died serving in the one year scheme.
The resolution followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved under matters of urgent public importance by Hon. Blessing Nsiegbe.
Nsiegbe, in a lead debate, expressed concern over poor state of facilities and dearth of medical personnel in various orientation camps in the country.
She blamed the death of Ichechukwu on injuries sustained during a `Man O War’ drilling exercise at the camp.
She said: “Though she was rushed to the NYSC clinic, the clinic only had youth corps doctors who could do very little to save her.
“In addition to dilapidated facilities in virtually all the camps, the rigorous exercise and strenuous drills that corps members are subjected to by the military are dangerous and risky.
“There have been other cases of death of corps members at orientation camps, for instance one Ukeme Monday was said to have died at the orientation camp in Zamfara around February 2017.”
Contributing, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha stressed the need for participants in the scheme to be certified medically fit before being admitted so they can survive the rigorous exercise.
Hon. Ahman Pategi urged the federal government to ensure adequate funding for the scheme in order to guarantee provision of adequate facilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee was given one month to carry out the investigation.
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