A traditional ruler, the Oworofun of Lapahun Kingdom in Odigbo local government area of Ondo state, Oba (Dr.) Solomon Adejayan has urged the people of the state to disregard what he described as misleading rumours, making the rounds that the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, were giving poisonous and deadly vaccines to Nigerians.
Oba Adejayan stated this at the flagg-off ceremony of the third quarter Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme by the NYSC, held at the Asewele Oja community in Odigbo Local Government area of Ondo State.
He urged the people of his community to refrain from listening to such misleading rumours that beneficiaries the NYSC free medical services may be injected with deadly and poisonous vaccines.
“I want to appeal to you all that NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) is meant to complement Government’s drive at providing basic medical and health services to Nigerians and not reducing the population as is usually being peddled by ill-informed and mischief makers.
“NYSC is a credible Government agency that is admired to mould our youths to become better leaders in the society”.
The monarch encouraged his subjects and people of adjoining communities to take advantage of the selfless service of the NYSC initiative to improve on their health status.
The HIRD programme is a quarterly event where NYSC in all the states of the federation mobilises corps medical personnel and allied professionals to give free medical services to rural and community dwellers.
In a remark, the Ondo State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Victoria Ani disclosed that one of the vision of the Scheme was to ensure that quality healthcare services is provided for all Nigerians.
The NYSC Ondo State boss who was represented by an Assistant Director/Head, Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, Mr. Olugbenga Justus Adefehinti posited that HIRD is a programme organised for promoting the well-being of people at the grassroots level wherein competent corps medical volunteers and other allied health professionals render free medical services to the people.
“I am happy to flag-off this programme today and I wish to let you know that we are committed to giving qualitative medicare and health services to not only Nigerian citizens but residents, through our professionally articulated HIRD programme to complement the efforts of Government at all levels”.
She noted that the government, may not completely have the wherewithal to provide or achieve all its lofty programmes for the people at the same time in view of the limited financial resources, hence the need for NYSC Scheme to provide a partnership drive in this direction.
“Our belief is that NYSC Scheme is reaching beyond its primary mandate, which is to practically impact the rural communities, who over time constitute majority of the population of the nation in integrating our great country into one indivisible entity while promoting unity and oneness”.
According to her, the Director General of the Scheme, Brigadier General Yishau Dogara Ahmed, in his aspiration to reposition the Scheme and be a frontliner to address the numerous hazards occasioned by health challenge, commenced the programme in which corps medical personnel nationwide are massively mobilised for the national assignment.
“Distinguished guests, I therefore beseech the community dwellers and its environs to seize this golden opportunity and improve their health status, which will drastically reduce all cases of avoidable deaths among them and also enhance healthy living.”
The Assistant Director/Head, Community Development Service (CDS) Branch, Mrs. Martha Ihenyen asserted that NYSC remained one of the Government agencies that prioritise the development of the nation through involvement in rural infrastructures and provision of health care services.
