NYSC: Buhari's Govt To Scrap Scheme, Make It Optional? Minister Speaks

• The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has come to stay in Nigeria, according to the federal government
• Sunday Dare, the minister of sports and youth development, on Tuesday, December 20, noted that the NYSC is still very relevant
• Dare said this in reaction to calls that the scheme be scrapped or made optional as some Nigerians feel it should not be compulsory

Abuja - The federal government has reacted to calls for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or making the scheme optional for young Nigerian graduates.

At the 16th edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2022), the minister of sports and youth development, Sunday Dare, insisted that the programme is still as relevant as it was when it first began forty-nine years ago, New Telegraph reports.

According to Dare, when the then head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, and his government decided to establish the NYSC in 1973, the “central rationale” was the need to promote the unity of Nigeria.

Read also

5 months before leaving office, top institution's governing council makes huge appeal to Buhari

The minister recalled that at that time, Nigeria was just emerging from the civil war (1967- 1970) and there was a need for a scheme that would unite young Nigerians from different regions.

He said:

“We were just coming out of the civil war; we sang the song (national anthem) of “though tribe and tongue may differ... But in spite of the power and spirit of that song, we still saw that our unity as a nation was not there. We did not even know ourselves.

“You know that the live wire of any nation is on its youths. Once the youths are captured their patriotism is captured and it will spread across. So the rationale behind the NYSC subsists up till now. Every country, including Nigeria, is still trying to promote its unity in diversity on a daily basis."

Read also

Half-salary: Bad news for students as ASUU reveals next line of action

NYSC to corps members: “When you carry ballot box for anybody; you will go straight to prison”

A strong message had been sent to corps members who will be participating in the forthcoming general elections.

NYSC specifically warned serving corps members against partaking in any form of electoral malpractice in the elections.

The warning was issued by the acting director-general of the National Youth Service Corps, Christy Uba.

Source: Legit.ng