NYSC Remains NYSC! -By Alabi Ayokunmi Ayomikun

This piece comes at such a time where finding the relevance of the National Youth Service is like looking for a needle in a haystack. This development or more accurately, lack of development has led many to call for the organization to be scrapped. They base their demand on a number of reasons, some of which include; the indiscriminate killings, torturing and inhumane treatment of Youth Corpers by bandits, terrorists, and as the media and the army now put it, “unknown gunmen.” 

However, regardless of how complex the situation has become, the aims and objectives of the National Youth Service Corp and its modus operandi are clear, though achieving the aims now seem far fetched.

Gov. Fayemi, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, recently, made a call, asking President Muhammad Buhari to turn NYSC camps into security training grounds so as to serve as a recruitment platform where Youth Corpers are recruited into the military. This call has spiked several comments and arguments; and has once again regurgitated the debate on whether or not NYSC should be scrapped! Personally, Governor Fayemi’s call led me into a sober and retrospective reflection, as though enough harm had not been done to the Nigeria Youth and now it’s time to totally exterminate us.

It should however be reckoned that the call for the militarization of the NYSC is not new and has been made by several persons in times past. It  might be difficult to understand the rationale for the proponents of this call. Nonetheless, to what extent or effect was the recent call by Gov. Fayemi? A rather cursory look at the intent sheds more light!

The call for the militarization of the NYSC is rather a satirical appraisal of the insecurity and constant increase in banditry and terrorist operations plaguing the country. Therefore, It is safe to say that concerned authorities and the government are constantly losing the fight to these masked and unknown gun men; consequentially, failing in their constitutional duty to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.

If not a mockery, why else should a youth, who in the last 4 –5 years in a tertiary institution has only learnt how to use the Pen and paper, be given a gun? The NYSC program was intended to foster unity by integrating youths to serve their fatherland, and not to defend it with a gun. Instead of scrapping the NYSC, the banditry and terrorism stricken areas should be outlawed for youth service, so as not to further endanger the lives of our youths.

It will be a grave misuse of NYSC, and a flagrant lack of understanding of the aims of the program to militarize it. Also, the militarization of the NYSC is tantamount to letting the labors of our heroes past; those who saw youth service as an important tool for unity, harmony and integration of the country, go to vain. The concerned person(s), constitutionally charged with the duty of serving the country with the gun and artillery, should rather be placed on their toes. Several government officials have in times past boasted of knowing the identity of the Boko Haram, Bandits and other unmasked caucus terrorizing the country. It’s high time these unknown and unmasked men are unveiled before they cause more harm than could ever be imagined. 

NYSC remains NYSC, our focus should rather be on curbing these men who have claimed countless lives’ and properties, hauled the country’s economy backward, and have dented Nigeria’s image in the global scene. The earlier this is done, the better for us all; else I fear the day where there won’t even be any youth left to serve the country, nor any fatherland left to be served, let alone the debate as to the militarization of its youths.

ALABI AYOKUNMI AYOMIKUN is a social commentator, he writes from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun-State, and can be reached via alabiayokunmi@yahoo.com