NYSC: The bill to scrap NYSC, what happens next as Nigerians react
The bill to discontinue National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Nigeria passes through the first and second reading in the Nigerian House of Representatives.
According to reports, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abia tẹ, representing Opobo/Nkoro Federal Consituency sponsors the bill to scrap the scheme as he cites insecurity as the major reason.
In the bill he explained that “incessant killing of innocent corps members in some parts of the country due to banditry, religious extremism and ethnic violence; incessant kidnapping of innocent corps members across the country.
“Public and private agencies/departments are no longer recruiting able and qualified Nigerian youths, thus relying heavily on the availability of corps members who are not being well remunerated and get discarded with impunity at the end of their service year without any hope of being gainfully employed.
“Due to insecurity across the country, the National Youth Service Corps management now gives considerations to posting corps members to their geopolitical zone, thus defeating one of the objectives of setting up the service corps, i.e. developing common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration.”
According to report, the bill have scaled through the first and second reading as members of the House of Reps still debating on whether to discontinue the NYSC scheme.
What’s NYSC About?
The military regime of General Yakubu Gowon established NYSC on May 22nd, 1973, under Decree No.24 of 1973.
This as a way to reconcile and reintegrate Nigerians after the Civil War that occurred between July 6, 1967 and January 15, 1970.
NYSC is a one year service scheme that is mandatory for Nigerian graduating from tertiary institutions under the age of 30.
Statutorily under the scheme, young graduate from the country’s southern region will be posted to the northern region and vice versa.
In these regions, they will receive three weeks compulsory orientation camp engaging in Para-military training.
After the three weeks is completed, Corp members are now posted to schools, hospitals, banks and other public and private establishments.
So far, problems of insecurity in the country have also affect NYSC scheme as report of cases of Corp members that were kidnapped and banditry threats becoming rampant.
Some others do not want the government to discontinue the programme due to benefits therein that it presents to youths across the country.
Nigerians Reacts to Scraping NYSC
