The National Youth Service Corps has stated that prospective corps members will henceforth be expected to provide fitness certificates from accredited public health facilities at orientation camps across the nation.
Eddy Megwa, Director of Press and Public Relations for the NYSC, said in a statement that the new policy would start with the 2022 Batch “C” Orientation Course and that the certificate of fitness will henceforth be required for registration at camps.
The fitness test, according to the director, will assist the scheme determine the health status of corpers and catch those who misrepresent their medical concerns.
Megwa said, “In order to avail the scheme credible information on their health status and also protect them from exploitation by unscrupulous persons.
“It is pertinent to note that the NYSC Orientation Camp Clinics across the nation are managed by the National Health Insurance Authority with the supervision of consultants from tertiary health institutions.
“In view of the regimentation and physical demands of some activities of the NYSC orientation programme, the management of the scheme introduced presentation of Certificate of Fitness from recognised public health facilities by prospective corps members as a requirement for registration at the orientation camp.
“The essence is to enable camp officials manage those who are not fit to undertake certain activities in the camp. This has been largely misunderstood, leading to extortion of some prospective corps members by fraudulent individuals in their bid to secure such documents some of which may not stand a test of integrity.“
