The suspension of activities at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Obubra, Cross River State, has drawn criticism from the Cross River State Journalists Forum (CROSSJOF), Abuja chapter, which has called for urgent intervention rather than a shutdown of the facility.
The forum, through its Chairman, Mrs Francisca Ogar, described the suspension as a development that could negatively affect Cross River State, particularly its public schools, hospitals and other establishments that depend on corps members for manpower.
CROSSJOF expressed its position following a congress where members examined the implications of the decision by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to suspend activities at the Obubra camp over concerns about its deteriorating infrastructure.
The journalists argued that maintaining NYSC orientation camps is a shared responsibility between state and federal governments, stressing that state governments are expected to provide and maintain camp facilities while the federal government, through the NYSC, administers the scheme.
While acknowledging that the Obubra camp has dilapidated facilities and damaged structures, the forum questioned why the facility should be shut down when similar infrastructure challenges reportedly exist in other orientation camps across the country.
The forum also raised concerns about communication between the Cross River State Government and the NYSC authorities, asking whether sufficient engagement had taken place before the suspension was announced.
According to the journalists, closing the camp could have wider consequences for Cross River State, where corps members contribute to staffing schools, hospitals and other public institutions.
CROSSJOF also questioned whether Cross River State was receiving fair treatment, drawing attention to the reported delay in the inauguration of Ntufam Hilliard Etta, a Cross River indigene nominated as chairman of the NYSC board.
The forum expressed concern that nearly a year after his nomination, Etta had reportedly neither been sworn in nor given the necessary support to function effectively.
Rather than suspend activities at Obubra, CROSSJOF urged the NYSC Director-General to consider temporarily relocating the orientation exercise to a government secondary school with boarding facilities or a higher institution with adequate accommodation while renovation work continues.
The forum also called on state governments across Nigeria to prioritise regular maintenance and upgrading of orientation camps to prevent infrastructure decay from reaching a point where facilities become unsuitable for corps members.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State Government has ordered the temporary relocation of the state's NYSC orientation camp from Obubra to the University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa to allow comprehensive renovation and upgrading of the existing facility.
The government described the relocation as temporary, stating that the camp would return to Obubra after the completion of the renovation works.
The development has renewed attention on the condition of public infrastructure in Cross River State and the need for sustained investment in facilities that support education, youth development and public service.
For many residents, the immediate concern is not simply where the next batch of corps members will camp, but whether the necessary repairs will be completed and whether the Obubra facility will eventually meet the standards required to provide a safe and conducive environment for young Nigerians undertaking national service.
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