Has NYSC lost its relevance?

Has NYSC lost its relevance?
By OYIADIKA ODOR and TUNDE THOMAS
Sunday, June 19, 2011


National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme came into existence in 1973 under the then military regime of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd). The philosophy is to promote unity among Nigerians from different parts of the country. Over the years, the scheme has contributed immensely to Nigerians knowing and understanding each other with appreciable reduction in mutual suspicion. In some instances it has engendered inter-cultural marital, political and even business relationships.

Unfortunately, however, considering its obvious shortcomings and recent crises rocking the scheme, Nigerians have begun to question the continuity of the scheme. Specifically, they are wondering, in the face of past and recent events, weather it is worth our resources and of course the safety of these young Nigerians to continue with the scheme. We took the same question to knowledgeable Nigerians. Here are what they think.



KAMORU ADIGUN – ACCOUNTANT
NYSC has not lost its relevance or usefulness; it remain a means of national integration; in some cases it leads to inter- tribal marriages, friendship and cooperation that often translate to business and political relationships towards nation building. For these reasons and more Nigeria should not contemplate abolishing the laudable scheme as that would amount to shooting oneself in the foot; what it requires is overhauling to address the present shortcomings and also accommodate the new societal realities.
YINKA ODUMAKIN – ACTIVIST
The NYSC Scheme has come under stress recently, especially after the post-election violence that led to the killing of some members on service. But aside the post-election tragedy, five corpers were also abducted recently in Rivers State. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the NYSC scheme. Nigerians are full of emotions and sentiments because of what happened in the North. We should not call for it’s scrapping but there is something wrong with our system. I think we should have a conference as to whether we want to live together as a nation or not.

SEGUN IDONIJE –PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR
NYSC, like most other government programmes, is laudable and should be supported but the Nigerian factor has not been allowing lofty ideas to work in this country. What I would suggest is an overhaul in the way things are done. However, this must involve the youths, education practitioners, labour groups, the organized private sector and even the military while politicians who are the course of whatever is wrong with the programme should be kept off. There should be security for youths serving the nation throughout the year. All levels of government and even places of primary assignment of corps members should ensure adequate security for them.
DARE FALADE – POLITICIAN
My view is that the scheme should be reviewed. In the first place, I don’t believe corps members should have been drafted to take part in the elections. It is like exposing their lives to unnecessary danger given the violent nature of our political set up. If at all they are going to be drafted for such risky assignment, there should have been adequate security arrangements.
Having said this, I believe that corpers should only be drafted for community-oriented duties that are not violent-prone.
NYSC is still relevant, but if care is not taken, some unfortunate incidents happening to these corpers while on service to their fatherland may make some people to lose faith in the scheme. It is left for our leaders to take the right steps to strengthen the relevance of the scheme.

AVM JOSHUA KOLAWOLE (RTD)
One of the main objectives of NYSC is to create national unity and understanding among youths of varying tribes. The NYSC has helped in building bonds amongst Nigerians, as there have been inter- tribal marriages among youths of different ethnic groups; people have had to settle down with jobs within the environment of their primary assignment after service. To this extent, the scheme has not lost its relevance because as far as I am concerned the objectives for which it was set up are still being served in terms of people being posted outside their immediate environment to serve among ethnic groups different from theirs. It is true, there are some ugly developments in the polity that tend to make the scheme irrelevant, especially the killing of some NYSC members during the April 2011 presidential election, which president Goodluck Jonathan won. We should not lose sight on the fact that, more than 800 people (non corps members) lost their lives despite the fact that not much was said about those people.
Having said that, I suggest that there should be amendment to scheme to ensure adequate security of corps members. It must be compulsory for states, local governments and places of primary assignments to ensure the security of lives of corps members unlike now that they are seen as only the ‘property’ of the federal government. In fact, members of the public should take interest in security of lives of corps members as they are on national service. In all, the scheme is still much laudable and relevant.

SANNI ABUBAKAR – PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST
I believe the NYSC scheme is still of such national importance that nobody should ever ask the question whether it still relevant or not. The scheme has not in any way lost its relevance. Rather, it has been and will always be a vehicle of national integration. There is no system that is absolutely perfect or 100%, without fault.
We should not jump to hasty conclusions just because of the unfortunate incident that happened recently in the Northern parts of the country.
However, there can be a review of the scheme to address some identified lapses. The scheme has been with us for such a long period of time that it will amount to throwing away baby with water if we broach the idea of abolishing the scheme. It has been a unifying and rallying point for youths across the country. It has been a bridge building project that has helped in no small measures to keep various ethnic groups together as one through close interaction, especially among the youths.

PROFESSOR PIC ONWOCHEI
– LECTURER
Despite recent adversities defined by mauling of some corps members, a comprehensive review of the scheme- its good and bad sides; advantages and demerits, shows that the benefits are more than otherwise. So, for me it is still very much relevant. Set up in 1973 by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, the main objective as gazetted was to foster unity in the nation after the avoidable Nigeria- Biafra war.
Spoilers such as kidnappers who see youth corps members as high price games may hunt them for blood money, while political bigots and Boko- haram sect who are deranged may slay them for no sin or crime committed; the scheme could be said without fear of contradiction, to have etched its enviable name in the annals of record as a unifying force of the nation.
On the criminal killing of corps members, it behoves on the government at federal and state levels to tighten security around the youths serving the nation. These trained youths are the future of Nigeria. Therefore, no effort should be considered too much to protect them, in fact all Nigerians are entitled to security of life and property.

YUSUF MOHAMMED
– POLITICAL SCIENTIST
The mandatory National Youth Service Corps programme provides an opportunity for corps members posted to states other than their own to know other parts of the country, the people and culture of the place; thus deepening understanding among the youths. By and large, the NYSC scheme is still very much relevant as the benefits are legion. No government should contemplate banning the scheme, as it would not be in our national interest.

DARLINGTON AGOMUO
– POLITICAL ANALYST
The primary reasons for establishing NYSC is to foster unity among the various tribes and ethnic groups in Nigeria. This became necessary immediately after the civil war when suspicion and hatred was high. Gen. Gowon Regime had a vision and he meant well by establishing the scheme. But over the years the scheme has come under severe pressure and criticism, because of what successive governments haves failed to do. We are still trying to discover ourselves as a nation. It means the scheme have not really achieved its purpose. Therefore, to abrogate it will be counter-productive. What is relevant at this juncture and in view of recent developments, is to take a second look at the modus operandi and modus vivendi of the scheme, with a view to check and correct some of the lapses already observed.
One is not unmindful of the ‘’Bauchi 10’’ which brought about the debate. Nigeria is bigger than any individual or group, but if every individual dies, there will be no Nigeria. It is very sad that a laudable programme which every young graduate looks forward to, has become a ‘’killing scheme’’. Most people may not understand the agony of the parents and loved ones of the slain corpers. But there is a saying in my place, ‘’that when somebody’s corpse is being carried, it looks like a log of wood to a by-stander’’. Most people don’t feel the impact of evil until it is visited on them. Since we cannot bring them back to life, we must make sure it never happen again.
The scheme helps to prepare the corpers to fit and blend into the corporate and business world after years of studies. Some corpers even start something on their own with the savings they made while serving. Marriages are contracted and business partnership entered into by corpers. It is a relief to parents and guardians. The scheme enhances economic activities and tourism and so on.
The conducive environment that makes it possible for Northern corpers to serve peacefully in the South, should be created in the North also. Let there be corpers’ quarters in every state and city where they perform their primary assignments and such quarters provided with military security. The Federal government and NYSC management should embark on massive enlightenment campaign to re-assure incoming corpers of their safety and security. Apart from the upward review of corpers allowance, let there be life assurance policy on corpers for the period of their service. Government should give gaurrantee to parents that their children who have gone to serve their fatherland will come back alife. The Moslem fanatics who carried out the dastardly acts, should not only be brought to book, they should be made to face ‘’Sharia Law’’ which is ‘’an eye for an eye and a life for a life’’. A stiff law should be made against kidnappers of corpers. The Governor, Emirs, and Imams should be held responsible for anything that happens to any corper in their domains, because they have a responsibility to educate their followers properly. The scheme should be made compulsory for every Nigerian graduate under the age limit both home and abroad, so that children of the rich politicians and policy makers can be included in the scheme. May be that could bring sanity to the scheme. Those who has the means should stop selecting where their children and wards should serve, to avoid defeating the purpose of the scheme. These measures can help reposition the scheme for better results.
To stop the programme because of some miscreants is a defeatist approach. They could stop other things if government capitulates. Problems are meant to be solved not abandoned.

DR ISA MOMOH – LECTURER
NYSC! Meaning National Youth Service Corps scheme officially and in its good old days, but “Now Your Suffering Commences” (when the universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education were good educational experiences), and much more latterly to “Now your suffering continues” and most recently, “Now Your Suffering Compounds” had been commended since it started in 1973 through the 1980s to the 1990s when it started losing flavor and favor. This loss of steam and height reached its climax with the gruesome murder of ten youth corps members in the violence that greeted the PDP political misdeed of denying the Zoning formula for the selection of their presidential candidate only to return to it for other electoral and post-electoral politics. This wanton killing of budding innocent young gentlemen and ladies who are on the threshold of unfolding their life potentials outside their home-areas has poured opprobrium on an otherwise patriotic and most laudable scheme.
The decline of the NYSC scheme followed the same trajectory as all aspects of Nigeria’s national life; so it is not peculiar to the NYSC and or would not have been very defining of the scheme had this unforgettable happenstances not occurred. As usual with passionate humanity, reactions are usually greater than actions due to the natural workings of the catalyst/multiplier. So calls for abrogation of the NYSC scheme or its thorough overhaul, such as posting corps members for service in their areas of origin are hugely exaggerated. They amount to killing a fly with a sledgehammer; it will be like throwing away the baby with the bathwater. The NYSC has definitely not lost its relevance. Instead, with Jega’s new use of the scheme, the NYSC has become more relevant and has been shown to have greater potentials for innovative uses.
As a member of the 1977/78 NYSC set, it was with pride and highest sense of dignity and patriotism that we eagerly and excitedly awaited our postings and call-up. No one, or very, very few, wished or tried to influence his/her place of primary assignment. Each of us looked forward to knowing and being immersed in meaningful service in the strange areas/communities where we would be welcomed as new elite members of the communities. On arrival (both at the state capital which was the orientation, the local government headquarter and the service location/institution), each corper (as we came to popularly called) was formally welcome with joy and dignity. Governments, community leaders, and organization owners/managers did all they could to show superlative hospitality to this new set of leaders, who were sacrificing joyfully for a more united and integrated Nigeria.

ANTHONY OLATUJOYE
– LAWYER
I don’t believe the scheme has lost its relevance. It has been promoting integration of different ethnic groups across the country especially the youths.
We should not as a result of the recent crisis call for the scrapping of the scheme. We should try to be broad-minded and take a critical look at how the scheme has been of tremendous benefit to the country.
However, I will like to advocate a review of the scheme in view of tragic incident that took place in the North where some members of the corps were lost to post-election violence.
For instance, provision should be made for adequate security for youths taking part in the scheme whether there is election or not.
We should all look at the unity of this country, which should be of paramount concern to everybody. If we abolish the NYSC scheme, it will endanger peace in the country, as so many things will be affected. It is better we don’t discuss or talk about its abolition at all. I strongly believe the scheme is still relevant, what we need to do is to have a review of it to ensure that we get the best out of it.
The NYSC scheme as conceived by the founding fathers is a laudable one; we should not allow it to die.

ABUKA ONALO OMABABA – PRESIDENT, UNITED MIDDLE- BELT CONGRESS
As far as I am concerned, the scheme has lost its relevance. However, in the event that the scheme is not abolished, I want to suggest that our youths should henceforth do their national service in their respective regions. If you serve in your own region, nobody will molest or kill you.
Imagine the agony of parents that toiled for several years to send their wards to schools only for some miscreants to waste the lives of these youths at their prime. This is unacceptable.
It should either be scrapped or the youths should be allowed to serve states of their own choice.
Although the scheme at the founding stage was a good concept but recent happenings in the country seems to suggest that the time has come for us to have a review.