The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has pledged its commitment to partner with the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in uniting Nigerians and bringing sustainable peace and social harmony in the country.
The Director-General of NCAC, Chief Segun Runsewe made the pledge in Abuja on Wednesday when he received the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim in his office.
Runsewe made this pledge while unveiling a joint agenda tagged “Partnership That Works”, adding that NCAC and NYSC had similar mandate, a statement made available to journalists in Lagos by Runsewe’s media aide, Mr Frank Meke, said.
Runsewe said that while the NYSC was established in 1973 in pursuance of the policy of reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation, the National Festival for Arts and Culture organised by NCAC was established by the same regime to foster national peace, unity and integration using culture.
He further said that while the NYSC scheme brought together young Nigerians to serve in states other than their own, NAFEST brought together contingents from the 36 states and FCT to showcase their cultural peculiarities and exchange cultural ideas.
The D-G NCAC appealed to all organisations to always accept corps members posted to them and treat them with respect as they were in the service to the nation.
He also appealed to Nigerians to stop stigmatisation against COVID-19 patients.
In his remarks, The Director-General, NYSC, Ibrahim thanked the NCAC for accepting to partner with NYSC.
On the issue of spread of COVID-19 in the NYSC camps, the NYSC DG explained that all prospective corps members were usually screened and tested before being allowed into the camp.
He said that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) had offices in all the orientation camps in the country to take care of any emergency that could occur.
Ibrahim assured parents and guardians that intending corps members would be screened, tested and certified fit before being allowed into the orientation camps. (NAN)