NYSC: Success Story Amidst Crisis

NYSC: Success Story Amidst Crisis
Submitted by James Uzondu
on Mon, 08/08/2011


With the current security challenges facing the country, the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has experienced a rather troubled period with several calls for its proscription or realignment, but the ability of the scheme to properly manage the challenges has only gone further to prove critics wrong and expose the outstanding leadership qualities of the director general. - By George Emine
Following the security challenges that Nigeria has been contending with in recent past, the National Youth Service scheme has come under severe crisis, with many calling for its proscription or realignment. This is because Nigerians were generally worried about the tide of killings, kidnapping and bombings in some parts of the north, following the post-election violence, the recent kidnap of five corps members in Rivers State, and the Boko Haram threat.While the calls for its proscription continued, others suggested that this year, especially the 2011 Batch B corp members, should not be posted to the crisis areas in the north and the south-south. There were also suggestions in some quarters that the exercise be suspended completely until the nation overcomes the present security challenges. But amidst all these calls and worries, and in the face of the obvious security challenges that the nation currently contends with, the scheme has continued unhindered.The crisis has clearly overshadowed the contributions made by the corps members in different areas such as education, health and rural development through their community development programmes as well as their primary assignment. It therefore came as a surprise when the posting of the 2011 Batch “B" corps members was announced last month, and corps members were posed to the northern parts of the country. Nigerians expressed fears and worry that action might be the beginning of the failure of the scheme and most especially, the director general, Brigadier General M. I. Tsiga, who has remained adamant in his belief that the scheme was still as worthwhile now, as it was at inception some 25 years ago.Things almost got to a head when the authorities of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko in Ondo State for instance, protested the posting of its graduates to states in the north. Such fear was birthed due to the fact that a graduate of the institution, Mr. Kehinde Jehleel Adeniji, who was serving in Bauchi State, was killed during the post election violence that erupted in some states. A statement by the Institution’s Public Relations Officer, PRO, Mr. Sola Imoru, said the, “institution is still traumatised by the death of one of its alumni. The university notices with dismay, that some of its graduates were still posted to those violence-prone states, including Bauchi, where Adeniji was mercilessly hacked to death, without sufficient guarantee of their safety by the NYSC.” Also, traditional rulers in the oil rich Niger Delta region also called on the federal government to either scrap the scheme or restrict service to the states of origin of the corps members, saying it was really painful that corps members became the target for attack by rioters.According to the statement, the university had received various calls from parents and guardians of graduating students, and some of them too, about their apprehension in being posted to those states. Consequently, the university asked that its graduates should not be posted to the crisis states in order to guarantee their safety and assuage the anxiety of the students and their parents.But in all these, the director general proved to be on top of the situation, dousing all fears. For instance, in view of the insecurity caused by the continuing Boko Haram insurgence, Brigadier General, Maharazu Tsiga, ordered that he could not allow the corps members to remain in the state that is being fled by even the residents. He said he was encouraged by the courage of the corps members, who, despite the pressures from their respective homes, kept calm till the end of the two weeks orientation exercise. But expressing so much confidence in the DG who most corps members see as a father, about 140 members of the corps members that participated in the orientation exercise, had surprisingly insisted on staying behind in Maiduguri State against the fears being expressed by their parents and relatives for their life, so they were posted to areas outside the crisis zone in the state.Instead of being deterred, the director general of the scheme has continued to reaffirm his commitment to make sure the scheme works. He has also taken it upon himself to ensure that the corps members’ welfare is adequately taken care of. He has made it a point of duty to ensure that all stakeholders are made to be committed to the scheme. The security challenges which has most times been over bloated by mischief makers, has only become to him a challenge to overcome. The 2011 batch B’ Orientation provided an avenue for accessing the success of the campaign which the director general had taken to all stakeholders including state governors. Many governors naturally threw away the outcry against the scheme and instead pledged their support for its success.According to the Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, despite the challenges encountered by the programme, it was still worthy of being sustained. The governor therefore, charged employers not to reject corps members posted to them for primary assignments.The Bauchi State governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, whose state was virtually blacklisted by parents and guardians of corps members, also directed local government council chairmen in the state to ensure adequate security for NYSC members posted to their domains. Governor Yuguda said his government would give priority to corps members’ welfare, adding that the state government would not condone any act of lawlessness in any guise. This was coming after a seeming imbroglio between the NYSC national headquarters and the state, over issues bothering on the welfare of corps members.The Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, also assured corps members in the state of adequate security, just as he directed the 33 local government councils to provide corpers’ lodges for serving members in their respective localities. Speaking at the official closing ceremony of the orientation camp for 2011 Batch ‘B’ corps members at Iseyin, Ajimobi said the present administration was, as a matter of policy, committed to greater comfort and security of corps members, in view of their selfless and patriotic service to the nation.In a similar vein, the Kano State government also called on companies and organisations not to reject members of NYSC, saying their service was for the humanity and essential tools for nation’s building. The state governor, Dr Musa Kwankwaso, said the administration would not be happy with public agencies, local government and companies who rejected corps members, noting that these were people that would hold the nation in future.The Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, said the state government had put adequate apparatus in place to checkmate crisis in the state. Also, the Katsina State government has appealed to all stakeholders of the NYSC, especially the host communities, to ensure that corps members were provided with needed environment, to enable them to contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the state. The state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, made the appeal at the official closing ceremony of the Batch ‘B’ 2011 orientation course for corps members at the state NYSC orientation camp in Katsina. He urged the corps members to actively participate in the community development service, to enable them to leave lasting footprints in their places of primary assignments.Today, the National Youth Service Scheme has become the beautiful bride especially to international agencies who troop to its headquarters to seek partnership with it. The US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence P Mcculley while paying a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the NYSC in Abuja, commended the scheme, saying, “through the role played by the NYSC during the polls, the scheme had distinguished itself,” and that he was impressed by the commitment and patriotism demonstrated by the corps members, especially those engaged for election duties.After a long struggle, the NYSC members who were receiving a paltry N9, 775.00 are now receive N19, 800.00 as allowance with effect from March 2011. But despite the success, the director general said his dream is to see that every corps member receives N50,000 monthly before he leaves office. The accolades have also continued to pour in for the director general who incidentally is the first DG who passed through the service himself. Recently, the center for democratic governance in Africa, gave the amiable director general a distinguished Service Award (Gold 2011) for his outstanding achievements as the NYSC helmsman, whose resilience and doggedness, is believed to be one huge driving force in the huge successes so far recorded by the scheme. And for parents and guardians, they now have their confidence strengthened as they know that the security and welfare of their children and wards is paramount to the scheme.