NYSC Is In Need Of Urgent Reformation Or Dissolution 

BEN AHANONU

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a mandatory, post-tertiary education scheme, established by Decree No. 24 of May 22nd, 1973, by the Military administration of Gowon as a post-civil war initiative aimed at promoting national unity and integration.

Since 1973, graduates of Nigerian universities, and polytechnics under the age of 30, have been required to take part in the National Youth Service Corps programme for one year and Ahmadu Ali served as the first Director-General (DG) of the NYSC until 1975.

The NYSC was established to promote national unity and patriotism, foster self-reliance, inculcate discipline, provide practical experience, and encourage community development among others but the question is to what extent has the aims been achieved in more than half a century of its existence?

Objectively, the concept of NYSC is fantastic but in practical terms, it is a disaster, given the fact that the scheme is bedevilled by systemic issue and unimaginative leadership, that has diminished its usefulness and made it more of a jamboree without any strategic importance.

There is still glaring disunity, nepotism, indiscipline, corruption, tribalism and lack of patriotism in Nigeria despite the existence of the NYSC programme since 1973.

It is either NYSC has no convincing message or that the message is not being delivered properly and not permeating.

I participated in the NYSC programme and served in Kano. Often, I reminisce with nostalgia the sweet experiences at the orientation camp in remote Wudil, Kano State, where I met a fellow Igboman doing business and how we used to hide under the “six-spring -iron bed” in the morning to avoid parade and how the soldiers will come to the halls to fish us out. I hated the sound of the military bugle in the morning. I also recall how we mingled with the ladies despite the fact that there was a ban on entering the female hall. I remember my “Mai Shayi” i.e. tea maker experience, how we were served tea every morning and how some of the boys did go for the tea again and again with the lie that they tripped over a stone or that someone pushed them and their tea cup fell but on a fateful day, one of the ladies, took note so when one of boys went again, she asked: “Come, this boy is it everyday that your tea cup falls,” he did not know what to answer but the lady smiled and still served him the tea because she knew it was one of those boyhood pranks and shenanigans.

It was a wonderful moment for social interaction with youths from different parts of the country in those good old days and time when Nigeria was relatively peaceful and insecurity was not rife.

There was no concern about bandits on the way or terrorists killing corps members.

Today however, the reverse is the case as many corps members have been kidnapped, raped and killed by bandits and the NYSC has proven to be a ridiculous contrivance and trouble-ridden programme that is causing more harm than good.

Apart from the warm and intense social interactions that have led to inter-tribal marriages being contracted among corps members and some that were offered automatic employment because of their outstanding performance during the service year, the NYSC Programme is a great white elephant, waste of time and unnecessary drain on the resources of the country. It has fostered more disunity than unity among Nigerians and should not have been made compulsory ab initio.

In addition, the non-appointment of an Igbo man or woman as the Director-General (DG) of the NYSC programme is a negation of its aim of promoting national unity and integration.

I must ask these pertinent questions: Who made it a rule that Igbos should not be Director-General of NYSC and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory? To date, no Igbo has ever served as the Director-General of the NYSC apart from one Mrs C.I. Uba, who was an (Overseer) from November 2022 – January 2023 and not a Director-General.

How can there be enduring unity and integration in the midst of sustained and deliberate official discrimination against the Igbos?

The great Igbo nation needs answers to the foregoing questions urgently.

I am convinced and it is true that no tribe in Nigeria is superior to the Igbos and the insulting and humiliating treatment meted out to the Igbos for more than 50 years after the ill-fated and avoidable civil war (that was brought upon the Igbo nation through a premeditated campaign of calumny against the great Igbos as spearheaded by satanic British elements and marketed by wicked ethnic propagandists and merchants of evil in official quarters), must stop now for Nigeria to move forward.

Some are asking that since the other tribal groups of conspirators have been running the country as masterminded by Dead Britain, what is the level of socio-economic development Nigeria has attained despite the abundance of natural and human resources?

The NYSC never achieved its main aims from the outset and will never achieve it now that it has become a beleaguered programme except it is totally restructured and reformed to reflect true federal character in terms of its headship and the needs of the present times especially regarding insecurity, the need to diversify its aims to include vocational training and for young graduates to serve in various federal establishments in their states of origin for their safety.

The NYSC can partner with the private sector to initiate business ventures that will yield revenue for the programme with the pool of corps members as the workforce.

Businesses like bakery, poultry, soap and cream factories can be established across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory. The NYSC branded bread, soap and cream will be supplied to all the orientation camps in the country season after season and also sold to the public.

In conclusion, the leadership of the NYSC can be proactive and creative in thinking – it is possible.

By now the NYSC should be generating revenue for the country instead of depending on the Federal Government for subvention year after year.

The other pertinent question is, of what purpose will it be that a young man or woman who spent time and money studying in the tertiary institution will upon graduation, get kidnapped, raped, robbed and sometimes killed because of NYSC service year?

Indeed, the NYSC programme is progressing in error and needs urgent overhaul.

I am Prince Ben AHANONU
…With intellectual swagger that doesn’t stagger

Email: benahanonu@gmail.com