Emmanuel Aziken and James Egbon
2 January 2009
The deputy chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Labour, Rep. Chukwuma Umeoji has called for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) saying the programme has lost focus.
Umeoji (Labour, Aguata, Anambra) in a statement made available to Vanguard lamented that one of the scheme's cardinal objectives of national cohesion has also been overwhelmed by ethnic and religious bigotry.
He said that scrapping the programme would save the country the estimated N40 billion expended on the scheme which he said was now being poured down the drain.
His comment came against the background of the recent sectarian crisis in Jos, Plateau State that led to the death of three Corps members.
"Today, corpers are killed by people who are supposed to protect them. Employers reject corpers posted to their establishment. The worst situation is that government establishments are the worst culprits in the rejection of corpers."
Noting the loss to some families as a result of the national service, he said, "Today some families are in pain for losing loved ones to demonstrations of hatred in the Nigerian state."
Observing the bureaucracy that has recently beleaguered the scheme, he said, "Most Nigerian graduates waste up to three years to get a chance to serve.
The number of years wasted to get a chance to serve could not be utilized because of the demand for discharge certificates before employment."
Noting that the amount expended on the scheme could be used for better purposes, he said, "The government should, as a matter of urgent national importance, scrap the programme and save the tax payers' money.
Out of N40 billion allocated to the Ministry of Youth Development over 70% will be spent on NYSC related matters. From all indications the programme has not achieved the desired result and should be scrapped without further delay," he said.
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