Reps Consider Scrapping NYSC As Bill Reaches Second Reading
The Nigerian House of
Representatives is considering discontinuation of the National Youth Service
Corps scheme.
The Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria Alteration Bill, 2020, which is seeking to repeal the NYSC
Act, is billed for the second reading.
The sponsor, 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.”
Recall that the military regime
of General Yakubu Gowon had established the NYSC on May 22, 1973, under Decree
No. 24 of 1973 as a way of reconciling and reintegrating Nigerians after the
civil war between July 6, 1967 and January 15, 1970.
