The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme is once again in the crosshairs due to rising insecurity. This time, one of the three arms of the federal government has begun the process of cancelling the scheme.
The NYSC was established in 1973 by the Yakubu Gowon regime as part of the Federal military government’s post-civil war reconstruction efforts. The purpose of the program was to create unity, friendship, cultural appreciation and growth by posting fresh graduates of universities and polytechnics to states outside their own for a period of one year. The scheme has four cardinal programs: a three-week orientation camp (during which corps members participate in paramilitary drills, match past, sports, skills development, cultural programs, and lectures); a primary assignment (where corps members are assigned to various parts of the economy to work); and community development (programs initiated by corps members to develop their host community) and passing out parade (the final parade signaling the end of the program).
The issue has sparked debate from various quarters since a member of the house of representatives, Awaji-Inimbek Abiante of Rivers State, sponsored a bill to repeal the NYSC Act from section 315(5a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria late last month.
Government officials, religious groups, celebrities, and a slew of others have chimed in on the NYSC’s destiny, urging its abolition or continuation.
Some of the reasons the scheme should be scrapped, according to Abiante, are rising insecurity, the poor state of NYSC orientation camps, unfair labor practices against corps members, and corps members’ ability to influence their posting. Even if the bill passes House scrutiny, it must still pass the Senate and state legislatures, and the President must give his approval before it becomes a law.
This is not the first time the scheme has come under fire. There had been calls in the past for the scheme to be scrapped following the deaths of corps members in religious and political crises. One such incident, the killing of ten corps members in Bauchi following the April Presidential elections in April 2011, prompted Nigerians to call for the scheme to be scrapped.
Why should the scheme be abandoned?
Many of individuals who agreed with Abiante that the NYSC should be abolished also agreed with his grounds for introducing the bill, which included insecurity.
A graphic designer, Ibrahim Ajide, believes NYSC should be terminated if the government is unable to address insecurity.
“Nigeria is in the most divisible state that it has ever been and the state of insecurity is too much. Why post a candidate to where you know there is insecurity that even to travel there is very risky so why do that? If it cannot be scrapped then it should be paused till further notice, till the government can fix the insecurity,” he said.
Continuing the programme, according to a Lagos-based lawyer (names omitted), is a high cost, given the number of corps members lost each year.
“Do you know how many corps members die every year? The nation is not ideal to run this system. Let it stop. I will never send my child past Lagos State for any dirty NYSC. The big men, their children do not even go and they still get the certificate.
“My opinions about NYSC have always been before Buhari. I did not gain anything from my one year in Delta State and I am sure most people had the same experience.
“A good structure changes with the times and if Nigerians really want to substantiate its intangible structure, it should scrap the NYSC because it is a failed programme which does more harm than good,” the lawyer said.
A parent, simply known as Maria, said the scheme should be suspended, saying it can no longer serve the objectives because of insecurity.
“Personally, I think the scheme should be suspended for now. It is not serving its purpose presently so what is the use? The reason for the creation of the scheme was for integration of youths from different cultures. As it is now, it is not working. I cannot send a ward up north in the name of unity or integration and put his or her life at risk,” she said.
Why should the scheme be sustained?
Despite growing economic difficulties and insecurity, some people believe the scheme should remain in place.
Oluwafisayo Babalola, a recent graduate of the youth service program, is one of them. He believes that the National Youth Service Corps is critical to Nigeria’s unity.
He said: “No. I believe NYSC is a good national unity scheme that should continue, in fact till Jesus Christ will come. To me personally that is the only thing that I see that is keeping Nigerians together. We have over 250 languages in Nigeria.But NYSC is a scheme whereby you send young graduates across the country. Someone from Lagos going to Delta State, someone from Delta State going to Oyo State like that is really good. That way they tend to learn other things about other regions so it is a form of national integration, unity. I feel NYSC should not be scrapped it should continue because the unity of Nigeria is very very important.”
Drawing from her own NYSC experience, a marketer, Sandra, said it should not be scrapped.
“In my own opinion, I do not think the national youth service should be scrapped because it has helped to foster unity amidst the various ethnic groups that we have in Nigeria. I mentioned unity because it has helped me personally to meet with people I never thought I would be meeting for a long time. A lot of people that I have had time to interview on this particular issue had shared with me their experience of learning skills that they never had opportunity to learn throughout their stay in the higher institution. So, I believe that such gathering usually motivates some people even though it is not a large percentage of them but at least out of those some people I have a lot of people that have created wealth, that have created job opportunities for themselves,” she said
Source: The Nations