The Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, has explained why pregnant women and nursing mothers were banned from the scheme.

He said pregnant women and nursing mothers were banned to make the programme more effective and to prevent a situation where they would be managing pregnant women and nursing mothers.

The NYSC boss stated this in Ilorin, Kwara state capital yesterday while inspecting facilities at the Nigerian Army School of Education (NASE), Sobi Barack ahead of the NYSC's promotion examination and interview slated for today.

He Said, "What we are saying is when a woman is pregnant, in the past we have had pregnant women, nursing mothers coming to camp. These were people who have come to camp, rather we see ourselves managing them. So what we are saying now is if you are pregnant, why don't you go, deliver and then when you are okay, you come and do your service, it is in their own interest and also to give effectiveness to what we are doing in the scheme.

"I have come here at the Nigerian Army School of Education to look at the facilities available which the NYSC plans to use for our promotion exam that is taking place tomorrow.

"I have gone round and I have seen very good, excellent facilities and I think I must give kudos to the commandant of the school for maintaining these facilities in the shape they are and they are quite fine for the purpose for which we want to use them tomorrow".