EDITORIAL : THE NIGERIAN TRIBUNE, NIGERIA

RETHINKING THE NYSC

THE killing of some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the meaningless and criminal violence that allowed the presidential election in

several states in northern Nigeria has provoked calls for the rethinking of the essence of the NYSC scheme.  Corp members became targets of the criminals protesting the outcome of the presidential elections because they were employed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to preside over polling stations nationwide. The corps members performed this function with patriotism, zeal, competence and uprightness. Indeed, before the violence was inflicted, their effectiveness in playing that role was praised by both local and international observers as largely responsible for the success of the National Assembly elections and presidential election. The attack on the members of NYSC served to taint what was otherwise a major auspicious discovery of an important solution to the problem of finding an appropriate, reliable and effective source of ad hoc staff for the conduct of election nationwide.  Before the 2011 elections, INEC, had placed a huge portion of the blame for its failures to conduct free and fair elections on the conduct of the ad hoc staff.  Professor Maurice Iwu, the former chairman of INEC, once commented that many of the ad hoc staff were found to be agents of politicians. The attack on the corp members was therefore wicked, unpatriotic, vicious and unacceptable.

WE appeal to those who have called for the scrapping of the NYSC to thread with caution. The involvement of the NYSC members in  the administration of elections was not an original purpose of the NYSC. The corps members merely responded to the national call to help salvage the country from  its persistent failure to achieve free, fair and credible elections. Apart from the fact that some corps members ended up as object of attack by misguided and criminal individuals, a new role have been clearly added to the original purpose of the NYSC. This important role must not be lost on Nigerians. Indeed, a failure to appreciate this contribution of the NYSC to the political development of the country detracts from the sacrifice of those youth who lost their lives or sustained injuries during the violence that attended the presidential elections in northern Nigeria.

THE NYSC was established after the civil war to inculcate discipline in Nigerian youth, to instill in them a tradition of industry, patriotic and loyal service to the nation. The orientation process was to help develop common ties among Nigerian youths across ethno-linguistic and geographical divides. Exposure to peoples and cultures outside their states of residence is  to help remove prejudice, ignorance and  confirm similarities among Nigerians  of all ethnic groups. The scheme was also expected to promote free movement of labour as corps members were to be encouraged to seek employment in their states of primary assignment.

THE NYSC as a symbolic programme of national integration has faced several obstacles. These include poor management of its resources, poor funding, lack of adequate remuneration and incentives for both NYSC members and staff and the failure of the state governments to invest in the programme. Its labour mobilisation goal has been frustrated by the practices of state governments who reserve positions in their bureaucracies and schools to indigenes only. This has dampened the morale of members and some of them have openly questioned the oneness of the country.

IN recent times, the safety of corps members has become the single most challenging threat to the programme. A number of corps members had lost their lives in the many conflicts that characterised states in northern Nigeria, especially in places like Jos, Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano. The situation has become so bad that parents and prospective corps members have prevailed on the NYSC Directorate not to post them to trouble spots. Currently, it is the practice that corps members deployed to flash points should be redeployed on request.

FROM now on, state governments in trouble spots should commit to adequate provision for the support and security of corps members. The NYSC directorate should not deploy corps members to states where such material support and security guarantees are not made.

THE government should review the welfare and incentive packages to members of the NYSC. It is disheartening that many of the NYSC members often roam the streets in search of places of primary assignment. This points to poor logistic and information  management capacity on the part of the NYSC directorate.  The NYSC directorate did not also demonstrate sufficient capacity to manage the crisis situation in which the corps members’ lives were endangered. This weak capacity of the NYSC directorate must be addressed.

AS a measure of commitment to the scheme, all tiers of government and the private sector organisations that utilise the services of corps members should contribute to sustain the scheme. The NYSC Directorate should ensure regular monitoring and supervision of corps members.  In this century, when communication is faster and easier, there should be no excuse for ineptitude in this regard. It should provide a rapid response programme to aid corps members in sudden distress.  The unfortunate existence of an army of almajiris in northern Nigeria must not be permitted.  The relevant state governments must work in concert with the Federal Government to put an end to this menace.