By Gabriel Atumeyi
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has accused those calling for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) based on deteriorating security situation in the country of promoting a divisive agenda similar to the Boko Haram agenda.
Recall that a bill sponsored by Awaji Abiante, a lawmaker from Rivers State had a fortnight, passed through second reading at the green chamber.
The lawmaker seeks to use the bill to amend section 315 (1)(a) of the 1999 constitution.
But addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, Akoshile Muktar and Comrade ‘Dotun Omoleye, who are the vice presidents, NYCN North Central and South West zones respectively, in the company of other top officials of body, said NYSC has done more good than harm to national development and sustaining the scheme should be the priority of lawmakers rather than calling for it to be scrapped.
Muktar said the council was shocked that the hallowed chamber of the House of Representatives would be used to further promote parochial and divisive agenda aimed at scrapping the NYSC citing security challenges as the reason.
On his part, Comrade ‘Dotun Omoyele said although there are security challenges in the country, it would be a gross disservice and attack on one of the fabrics of the nation’s national unity symbol if NYSC were scrapped.
According to him, “The call to scrap the NYSC scheme which serves as a transition year for many Nigerian youths, with the N33,000 allowance serving as a key financial stabilizer for many of these poor Nigerians, is a negative message to them that government doesn’t care about them,”
“We are well aware that this move has been covertly sponsored by agents of destabilisation, who have misguided the respected House of Representatives, which has in time past and on several occasions taken the side of the Nigerian masses even at a huge political cost.
“We hereby call on the leadership of the house, whom we well know to be persons of integrity and burning passion to better the lot of Nigerians, to stop further action on this divisive bill that will only rob many Nigerians of the only government presence they know, not to talk of the social and understandable benefits the scheme has given over the decades, Omoleye stated.