Nigerian youths, delegates from 31 states across Nigeria and from Lagos and its environs came together recently to call on the federal government to scrap the NYSC by abolishing the decree setting up the scheme.The event was a special edition of the annual international debate titled The NYSC Scheme Has Outlived Its Usefulness of the Supreme Education Foundation Schools (SEF), Magodo, Lagos. It was part of to celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the school.
The debate, which held at the school auditorium, saw young and erudite scholars from various the participating schools assume the status of governors of the states they represented to thrill their audience.
Barring their minds on the antecedents of the scheme, majority of the students maintained that the programme, which was the creation of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gown administration has lost its salt.
Barring their minds on the antecedents of the scheme, majority of the students maintained that the programme, which was the creation of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gown administration has lost its salt.
They cited corruption in the form of offering bribes to effect change in posting, discrimination against serving corps members in their area of primary assignment by natives, hazards associated with frequent travels, poor remuneration and insecurity, as some of the reasons for their call.
They argued that the problem of insecurity was brought to the fore with the killing of corps members across the country over the years, with particular emphasis on the number of youth corps members who lost their lives in the wake of the 2011 post- election violence.
The words of the young Bauchi State “Governor”, Akinbo David: “If I have the chance to speak to President Jonathan today, I will tell him, ‘please scrap this scheme. Come to think of it, in 1966, there was a struggle; in 1973, there was a decree to checkmate the struggle.
Thirty eight-eight years later, the struggle has gone, the military which promulgated the decree is gone but the decree remains. Why is this so?’
But the few who argued in defence of the scheme noted that aside achieving the objectives for which it was set up, it has served as a tool of national integration.
But the few who argued in defence of the scheme noted that aside achieving the objectives for which it was set up, it has served as a tool of national integration.
Chaired by Prof. Oladipupo Adamolekun, the debate ended with Her Excellency, the “Governor” of Bauchi State, Akinbo David, scoring a total of 80 points to place Redeemers Secondary School in the 1st position. Her Excellencies, the “Governors” of Ogun and Kogi States, Kemi Adeyemi and Genevieve Chima, placed Vivian Fowler Memorial College and Wellspring College in the 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.
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