Human Rights Advocate calls for NYSC policy review

Human Rights Advocate calls for NYSC policy review

By Naomi Onome

Human rights advocate Comrade Prince Saviour Iche, the president of Ambassadors of Peace and Enlightenment Foundation ‘AMPEF’ addresses the federal government on the disadvantage of NYSC service to Nigerian students and calls for a review or total stoppage. NYSC, as established by former military president Gen. Yakubu Gowon on May 22nd, 1973, for the integration of Nigerians, has not served its purpose in recent years, he said.

Iche stated clearly that the NYSC Scheme should be reviewed following recent happenings not in accordance with the essence of its creation since 1973. In recent years, issues arising from NYSC service seem detrimental to the safety of corpers as well as the total deviation from its course.

Looking at the four main objectives of the NYSC, it states that it was created to enable Nigerian youths to acquire the spirit of self-reliance by encouraging them to develop skills for self-employment, to contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy, and to develop common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration. The one-year mandatory service for Nigerian graduates (NYSC Scheme) was conceived after the civil war of 1967 as a means to concretize the federal government’s agenda of reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction for national integration.

In the last 10 years, corpers have been killed and kidnapped, and NYSC has promoted zero integration successes so far. Corpers are redeployed to serve in jobs that do not corroborate with their area of specialization, and they are ill-treated by some private organizations with little supervision from their designated coordinators. NYSC has not shown proper supervision in the approved private companies that corpers are designated to work with, and some of these companies treat them poorly. Corpers overtime have landlord-tenant issues leading to dehumanization. It is expected that at the time corpers are serving, it is the duty of the government to protect and establish laws to shield them from all of the aforementioned and not expose them to danger or harsh situations.

It has also been revealed in recent years that the NYSC camp has never-ending parties whereby youths are exposed to unlikely social practices that they must adhere to in accordance with camp rules. Some of these practices are against the religious beliefs of some Corpers, who are left with no choice but to abide.

On the issue of postings to the primary place of assignment for corpers, the federal government should review the assignment based on their area of study. For instance, a situation whereby a law student is posted to go and teach instead of being assigned to a law firm is gross. Students who studied education should be sent to the classroom; accountants should be designated to accounting firms and companies; their area of study should be in accordance with their designated place of service, not otherwise.

Corpers assigned to polling units as electoral agents should be totally abolished, for they are too fragile to be part of such processes. Also, they are usually the most targeted in situations of violence at the polling unit and other vices leading to killings and kidnappings.

All of this begs the question, how effectively has the NYSC integration served its purpose? Oneness cannot be forced amongst Nigerians where tribalism and nepotism have eaten deep; the purpose of NYSC integration is a fruitless effort, and the scheme should be reviewed.

Iche added that

The N77,000 paid to corpers as an allowance is nothing compared to the far places they are posted. The transport and feeding expenses are equivalent to whatever is being paid. The extra should come from their designated primary assignment, but these private establishments do not comply; rather, they pay corpers a token, yet these corpers render full services. Some corpers posted to other states have house rent to pay from the same allowance with little or no support from their guardian. After deducting transport and feeding from their allowance, one will realize there is nothing left.

While in camp, they are taught vocational skills that should have been taught to them during their primary and secondary education, not during NYSC orientation. The government should provide a one-time settlement for graduates after their tertiary education or review the NYSC scheme.

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Onome Naomi

I’m a general news reporter; I report news and happenings around the globe 🌎

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