The federal government has reacted to the report of a bill in the house of representatives seeking to scrap the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
DAILY GIST had reported that the one-year mandatory scheme for all graduates might be scrapped following the second reading of a bill in the House of Representatives seeking to end the scheme which some feel has outlived its usefulness.
The sponsor of the bill, Mr Awaji-Inombek Abiante, in the explanatory memorandum of the proposal, listed the various reasons why the NYSC should be scrapped. It read in part, “This bill seeks to repeal Section 315(5)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended) on the following grounds: “Incessant killing of innocent corps members in some parts of the country due to banditry, religious extremism and ethnic violence; incessant kidnapping of innocent corps members across the country.
Public and private agencies/departments are no longer recruiting able and qualified Nigerian youths, thus relying heavily on the availability of corps members who are not being well remunerated and get discarded with impunity at the end of their service year without any hope of being gainfully employed
“Due to insecurity across the country, the National Youth Service Corps management now gives considerations to posting corps members to their geopolitical zone, thus defeating one of the objectives of setting up the service corps, i.e. developing common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration.”
But reacting on Wednesday, Sunday Dare, President Buhari’s Minister of Youths and Sports Development, however dismissed the report claiming the NYSC scheme is set to be scrapped.
Addressing the speculations in a statement on Wednesday morning, The Minister said the government is committed to sustaining the scheme.
”The NYSC scheme remains one of the greatest tools for National development for our youth. The commitment of the government to sustaining the NYSC scheme remains. Dynamic Reforms and Initiatives towards current realities are ongoing. Nigeria will stand with her youth.’ ‘his statement reads
