Ozioma Onyenweaku
In recent times, some people have been calling for the scrapping of the NYSC Scheme. Some believe it has outlived its usefulness. While many others are calling for its scrapping based on the insecurity situation in the country.
The NYSC program was initiated in 1973 by Decree No. 24 of 22nd May 1973 (now Decree 51 of 16th June 1993) by General Yakubu Gowon, then Military head of State. The country just coming out of civil war at that time had the challenge of building back the country to one peaceful united nation upholding unity in diversity. The goal set for the scheme was to reconstruct, reconcile, and rebuild the country.
The NYSC scheme was embraced with enthusiasm. Youths looked forward to it. No doubt the scheme achieved a great deal in bringing youths from different parts of the country to mix and relate with one another. Some youths even developed long lasting relationships from there.
Unfortunately, this scheme is now seen as no longer serving its purpose. Records have shown that turnouts at various orientation camps have drastically reduced. Many parents do not want their children posted to certain parts of the country. Even more, certain parts of the country have been declared unsafe for the scheme.
If the NYSC scheme was established “ with a view to the proper encouragement and development of communities among the youths of Nigeria and the promotion of national unity”, how then would this be achieved if youths are not spread across the country , across tribes and ethnic groups? And how would such postings be possible with the growing insecurity in the country?
Kidnapping, abduction, killing and all forms of terrorism have taken over our land! Nigeria has turned to jungle of a kind.
The first recorded NYSC member abduction casualty was Grace Adie Ushamg. Grace Adie Ushamg, a female corps member then serving in Maidugiri, Borno State, was on September, 26, 2009, abducted and raped to death.
The 2011 general elections triggered condemnable political violence that swept across Northern Nigeria and that led to the killing of a number of corps members.
It was still the violence of the 2011 general election that led to over 50 corps members being locked inside the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship Secretariat in Minna, Niger State, by some youths who were protesting the results of the presidential election. The building was set on fire with the corps members inside, though they succeeded in escaping.
The 2012 NYSC Batch C was postponed in Bayelsa, Borno, and Yobe States as hostage taking and killings were high at that time in those states; and safety of the corps members could not be guaranteed.
Report had it that in Giade Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Corps members were forced to thumb print for a particular party.
Some of them were tortured by irate protesters, and eleven of them were butchered like animals.
On March 4th, 2020, a corps member, Sunday John (28) who was serving in Benue State was kidnapped at about 8:30 pm when the vehicle he was travelling in ran into a check point mounted by gunmen. He was later blindfolded and taken into the bush from where they reached out to his parents and demanded N5M as ransom. He was stripped of his NYSC uniform.
As Bandits and abductors started targeting NYSC members, Abosede Aderibigbe, Head of press and public unit in the NYSC headquarters had to advise that returning corps members should stop wearing their uniforms when travelling.
The insecurity situation has continued to worsen.
Should the NYSC Scheme be scrapped?
More than any time else, the laudable objective of the NYSC scheme is more desirable now. The disunity, the hate speeches and cold war in the land demands the youth to mix and unite with their fellow youths across the country to checkmate these ills. The older ones have failed them; and the future belongs to them and they should be intentional in getting things right. The NYSC scheme would afford them the opportunity to see things for themselves, and find how much lies the adults have been telling them about their fellow youths in other parts of the country.
My take, therefore, is that NYSC is not the problem. It is the increasing insecurity in the country. Scrap not the NYSC, rather revisit and review any area that may not be in tandem with the present. Then attack the insecurity in the country. Until the insecurity situation in the country is addressed, NYSC call-up letters will remain a call to death. Until the insecurity is addressed, let youths serve within their localities.