Should NYSC Be Scrapped? Nigerian Students React, Give Diverse Opinions
- Nigerian students have expressed mixed reactions over a bill introduced at the House of Reps seeking to scrap the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
- Ademilola Taiwo, a student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnics said the scheme should not be scrapped, noting that reforms should be introduced instead
- However, Saruq Rodiyat, a student of the University of Ibadan, supported the bill seeking to scrap the scheme
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Some Nigerian students have aired their views on the debate over whether or not the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should be scrapped.
Legit.ng had reported that the House of Representatives was considering a bill to scrap the NYSC.
The bill titled the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alteration Bill, 2020, was sponsored by Awaji-Inombek Abiante.
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Abiante lamented that innocent corps members are being killed or kidnapped in some parts of the country due to banditry, religious extremism and ethnic violence.
The lawmaker stated that the purpose of the NYSC which was meant to promote national unity and integration has been defeated because Corps members are now being posted to their geopolitical zone due to insecurity across the country.
NYSC should not be scrapped, MAPOLY student reacts
Reacting to the bill, Ademilola Taiwo, an HND 2 Mass Communications student at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) said the NYSC should not be scrapped.
Rather than scrap the scheme, Taiwo said the lawmaker should introduce important reforms.
Her words:
“They should not scrap anything. There is no alternative instead it should be reformed. This scheme is very important because, over the years, it has really helped in promoting national integration.
“What these people have failed to understand is that: the scheme is one of the reasons we have many graduates in our society because while we were growing, we often look forward to the day we'd serve our fatherland.”
Scrap the scheme, UI student supports the bill
Speaking on the development, Saruq Rodiyat, a 400 Level Agric Economics student at the University of Ibadan said the scheme should be scrapped.
Rodiyat further advised the Nigerian government to replace the NYSC with a “better scheme”.
“It should be scrapped .. they should replace it with better scheme,” she told Legit.ng.
Scrap NYSC or introduce new reform, TAISUED student says
In her reaction, Mariam Omotayo, a 200 Level student of Tai Solarin University of Education (TAISUED) said NYSC should be scrapped because of insecurity.
Omotayo noted that students used to be excited about the NYSC but now she is not looking forward to it again because she will not want to go to a state where a crisis can start anytime.
However, should the NYSC be retained, she said the government should allow students to participate in the scheme in the same state where their schools are located.
Omotayo noted that her parents would not even allow her to participate in the NYSC outside of the southwest region.
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Expand NYSC's mandate to include full military training
Meanwhile, rather than scrap the NYSC, Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker from Kaduna state, advised the Nigerian government to expand the scheme's mandate to include full military training for the participants as parts of the efforts to address insecurity.
Senator Sani added that the NYSC should not be scrapped, noting that the scheme is "needed now more than ever before".
According to the former lawmaker, the scheme has enabled many Nigerians to know other parts of the country apart from their immediate communities.
Source: Legit.ng
