Sultan Slams NYSC for opening Orientation Camps During Ramadan

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, a foremost Islamic body in Nigeria, has “condemned in strongest terms”, the decision of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, to continue running its orientation camps for fresh graduates across the country, despite the Ramadan fast.

The body, led by Abubakar Sa’ad, the Sultan of Sokoto, also called on the Nigerian Army to immediately postpone its planned recruitment exercise until Muslims have concluded their fasting period for 2017.

The decision was part of many resolutions, which included fervent prayers for ailing President Muhammadu Buhari, reached by JNI at its recently-concluded annual central council meeting in Kaduna.

The two-day event was held between May 21 and 22.

The organisation said NYSC admitting new entrants into orientation camps and the Nigerian Army conducting recruitment exercise during Ramadan would put Muslim faithful, especially those observing fasting and prayers, at a disadvantage.

“This is because the prospective corps members would be at disadvantage to their faith and other camp activities.

“In the same vein, the council calls on the authority of the Nigerian Army to postpone the intended recruitment exercise until after Ramadan to avoid putting prospective candidates at disadvantage,” it said.

The JNI called on the NYSC to honour a previous agreement entered by the two parties for camp activities to be placed on hold during Ramadan.

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army and NYSC did not immediately return calls and text messages to their respective lines for comments Wednesday afternoon.

The Nigerian Army had earlier this month announced plans to recruit new personnel in an exercise slated to take place between May and June, 2017.

The NYSC opened camps for the latest stream of graduates last week.