SODIQ BALA
The Federal Government should take action by suspending the NYSC Programme with immediate effect before more lives will be lost. After all, the Scheme has served its purpose and no longer relevant according to the scheme of things.
The NYSC Scheme was established in 1973 for the sole purpose of national development by engaging fresh Nigerian graduates from in and out of Nigeria’s Tertiary Educational System. It mobilizes graduates to serve their fathers land in various states in a bid to helping young Nigerians accept and understand the cultural belief systems of their tribes thereby fostering National Unity and Integration, and in the same vein helping rural communities in Nigeria have access to volunteer staff to help cushion the deficit in the educational system- why most corps members are posted out of their states of origin, residences, schools; to other states primarily for teaching service.
Looking at the hike in the insecurity in the country, reports of kidnapping of corps members in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Cross River, Ekiti, Anambra etc, where ransom is being paid, yet these corps members are never released, have sent serious fear into the hearts of parents and guardians about the safety of their children, who are mobilized to serve their nation.
Secondly, 2023 is far different from 1973 that year of its establishment. Technological advancement has made cultural transition more feasible – people do not need to spend physical time with other people to understand them.
In today’s world the acceptance of inter – cultural, inter- religious marriage, trading is no more experiencing the kind of discrimination it used to face due to this great tech advancement.
Thirdly, as the number of Nigerian graduates surged, the financial burden on the Federal Government to maintain this scheme has become overbearing, considering we are in a time where the nation is struggling to pay huge debts.
Our country is currently bedeviled with myriad of challenges. The funds dedicated to NYSC scheme can be directed on other sectors like Education, Infrastructure, Security, N-Power, Youth Entrepreneurship etc.
Just recently, the NYSC Corps members complained that the N33, 000 paid to them as allowance cannot meet their daily needs because of the high inflation rate, which has impacted on the cost of living. They protested for Increment to enable them survive the hard times.
The fallacy that corps members helped in developing and serving as teachers in rural communities will no longer hold water, because many corps members have jettisoned the cause of staying in the village to perform their duties, immediately after the 2 weeks orientation camp, many of the corps members relocate legally or illegally to the cities in large numbers.
The management of NYSC always struggle to make them stay behind for reasons like: insecurity, poor standard of living, etc
To support Schools in the Rural Community to get qualified hands to teach, the government should recruit qualified teachers and mandate all colleges of education, and all students studying education-related courses to go on compulsory teaching practice in government schools.
Adopting these strategic steps will save government from unnecessary expenditure, save the lives of our precious youths, who are being unfortunately endangered under a scheme now very avoidable; especially as the NYSC has really failed to fulfill its national integration purpose – judging by the rate of ethno – religion divisions our society yet suffers.
