CROSSJOF Condemns Suspension of Obubra NYSC Camp, Questions Nafiu’s Motive

CROSSJOF Condemns Suspension of Obubra NYSC Camp, Questions Nafiu’s Motive

…Calls for Temporary Relocation of Corps Members Pending Rehabilitation

By Raphael Ekpang

Abuja (Core Reporters) — The Cross River State Journalists Forum (CROSSJOF), Abuja, has condemned the suspension of activities at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Obubra, Cross River State, by the Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, questioning the rationale behind the decision.

The Forum expressed concern that the suspension could negatively affect the state’s public institutions, which rely heavily on corps members to provide manpower in schools, hospitals and other establishments.

The position was contained in a statement signed by the Forum’s Chairman, Mrs Francisca Ogar, and made available to journalists on Monday, October 19, 2026.

According to Ogar, the decision followed deliberations at the Forum’s Congress held on Friday, October 16, 2026, where members questioned the circumstances surrounding the suspension and called for a more collaborative approach to addressing the camp’s infrastructural challenges.

She said members maintained that the provision and maintenance of NYSC orientation camp facilities should be treated as a shared responsibility between state and federal authorities.

“Members were of the opinion that it is a shared responsibility: State Governments in Nigeria have a statutory responsibility to provide, support, and maintain NYSC orientation camp facilities, although the Federal Government, through the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), also has responsibilities for administering the scheme,” she stated.

The Forum acknowledged that the Obubra camp had dilapidated facilities and collapsed structures but argued that similar infrastructural challenges existed in several orientation camps across the country without necessarily resulting in their closure.

It consequently questioned why the Obubra camp had been suspended rather than allowing the relevant authorities to work together towards addressing its deficiencies.

CROSSJOF also expressed concern over the apparent lack of effective communication between the Cross River State Government and the Federal Government on the matter, urging both parties to prioritise the welfare of corps members and the interests of the state.

The Forum further questioned whether Cross River State was being unfairly treated, linking its concern to the prolonged delay in the formal inauguration of the NYSC Board Chairman, Ntufam Hilliard Etta, a Cross River indigene.

According to the Forum, Etta had been nominated for the position but had neither been sworn in nor given the necessary support to function effectively, despite the passage of almost two years since his nomination.

While raising the issue, the Forum called for clarification on the circumstances surrounding both the suspension of the Obubra camp and the delay in the board chairman’s inauguration.

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 rehabilitation work was carried out at the Obubra camp.

It maintained that such an arrangement would provide a practical alternative to the suspension of activities and help minimise the impact on the state and prospective corps members.

The Forum also called on state governments across the country to take proactive steps towards the regular maintenance and upgrading of NYSC orientation camps to ensure safe, healthy and conducive environments for corps members.

It stressed that collaboration between federal and state authorities remained essential to addressing infrastructural challenges without unnecessarily disrupting the operations of the national service scheme.