Way back in 1973 or thereabouts, while Nigeria was still reeling under the pains of the just concluded civil war, it was thought a very bright idea at enhancing national unity by sending fresh university graduates for compulsory one-year paramilitary service in any state, especially far away from their states of origin. There came the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Initially, potential youth corpers were strictly limited to only university graduates. Also, there were not many universities in Nigeria at that time, far less than 20 each with not more than 2,000 student population. There was also seeming unlimited national wealth solely from oil revenue with minor headache not on what but how to spend it. Like any initially well-intended policy, NYSC was soon to be blown out of proportion with the expansion of university education, numbering about 145 today.
Furthermore, eligibility for youth corps service has been extended to graduates of almost all post-secondary institutions. Each of the older universities has student population of not less than 10,000, if not more. With the liberalisation of university education in Nigeria, may of the new institutions are more concerned with huge revenue from tuition fees and especially charges for application forms, on which there is no limit.
Has the NYSC served, or is the scheme serving, the purpose for which it was founded? Surely, not. Unity? Nigeria is more divided or less united or both today. The only insignificant value of the NYSC currently is that some of the young ones, during service, occasionally end up getting married, irrespective of tribe or religion. That alone should induce older ones in politics, business and the professions to work for peace rather than the tension created all the time. The young ones involved in inter-ethnic and inter-religious marriage, no matter how minimally, are bringing us back to the good old days when our elders tied marital knots without bothering about ethnic/religious borders. Even the value of the mixed marriage of the young ones that could have been enhanced is stalled by today’s ethno-religious fanatics than ever before in their struggle for political power.
Should the NYSC, therefore, be scrapped? For whatever remaining value, the service should be retained but made more flexible. This should not be a problem except that governance in Nigeria is too rigid or intransigent. What is wrong in majorly reviewing an almost 50-year-old youth service scheme to meet today’s challenges?
In any case, do we have any choice? Various factors compel total rethink to cope with current needs. The first is that the scheme should not have been made compulsory, since the number of eligible potential corpers was bound to increase as the years went by while dwindling national revenue might be inadequate to comfortably accommodate the entire running costs of an ever-expanding NYSC. Both are confronting us today and can only get worse in the coming years. Unfortunately, in the conduct of governance in Nigeria, we react to public issues as of the moment instead of approaching with long-term vision.
By the way, when the youth service scheme was first introduced, there were violent protests all over the country by those who were eventually the first batch of youth corpers. For the ruling military government, it was a matter of honour if ordinary university undergraduates would disgrace the army from enforcing a scheme considered at that time to be, at least, one of the solutions for the much desired unity. Other factors should also have been considered. One was the need to make room for changes where necessary in future. Apparently, such was not considered. In simple language, the NYSC, in its rigid, indeed military, concept in 1973, was in no way to be the same in 2013. Hence, the NYSC Decree was considered a law to be incorporated in Nigerian constitution at the end of first military rule in 1979.
Ordinarily, whatever desirable or compelling changes in the NYSC law should be easily made. But is that possible today, in the light of nerve-breaking process of amending constitution in our democracy? Yet, uncontrollable forces had been piling up since 1979, which (today) make review of the NYSC not only desirable but inevitable. From less than 30 in 1973, the number of universities in Nigeria today is over 140, federal, state and private-owned. Polytechnics? technical colleges? What was the number of graduates serving as youth corpers in the first few years of the scheme compared to eligible potential corpers today?
If Nigeria could afford the cost when we had less than 30 universities, can Nigeria still afford the cost currently with graduates from 140 universities? Indeed, inability to cope with huge number of potential youth corpers in the past caused the NYSC directorate to incure backlog of graduates over some years to enable them serve, without which, statutorily, they cannot and must not be employed.
Later, the one-year service became a source of fraud for corpers who returned or stayed back for second service only for the allowances, owing to severely limited emloyment opportunities after service. With today’s huge number of eligible potential corpers, such criminal pranks may not be possible.
One other reason, which compels a major review of the NYSC scheme, is that, like other government agences and ministries, budget estimates of NYSC are slashed according to the financial control excercised by foreign institutions like World Bank and IMF. Every year, when ministries, parastatals and other agences submit their budget, appropriate government departments butcher each estimate to a level acceptable to the world financial institutions, a level which always adversely affects budget implementation in all government departments and agences. Regular payment of salaries and/or allowances? Purchase and supply of materials for youth corpers? Therefore, making the youth service optional may ease the financial strain of NYSC. What is more, sizeable number of eligible corpers evade the service by securing forged exemption certificates.
Somehow, as we all along never seriously thought of making changes in the NYSC scheme, nature seems to have forced Nigeria into a tight corner from where escaping will even be more hazarduous. The worldwide plague of coronavirus compelled restriction of human activities. A side effect was the national lockdown since six months ago. In the process, fresh graduates who should have commenced youth service since then have been stuck. So worrying was the situation for fresh graduates that Federal Government had to set up a committee under Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to inquire into the halt and make necessary recommendation.
The findings and recommendations were a stark reality that the fresh graduates might have to wait for two years to commence youth service. In that situation, will it be fair, in the name of national service, to completely render the innocent fresh graduates concerned inactive and unemployed for that period? Did they cause the coronavirus? Did Nigeria cause the virus? Must the potential youth corpers remain uncertain for the next two years doing nothing? As at the time of the lockdown, which compelled the suspension of the national youth service of the potential corpers, NYSC had compiled their list and they were to collect letters of posting. Nothing has happened since then.
By the way, even the Osinbajo report containing recommendation on the prospects of service for the fresh graduates is on the shelf. Forgotten? Maybe so, since early action on the suspended service of the new graduates does not seem to be government’s priority. These graduates are getting restless. Federal Government must discard the idea of being stampeded by public protests into taking necessary decisions.
There is and there should be nothing sacrosanct about national youth service, the annual cost of which constitutes financial strain on public expenditure. Also, while there might be tens of thousands who might be enthusiastic and even be prepared to wait indefinitely for their service in the next five years, there are equally tens of thousands who would rather be exempt specially and be so genuinely documented so that they can move on with their lives by pursuing employment prospects.
Aso Rock must make national youth service optional for the next two years so that such willing graduates can be set free. Better still, if, as we are being told, coronavirus is here to stay, will the current fresh graduates be kept waiting, and uncertain of their future? For now, the national students’ union is behaving responsibly. Federal Government must match that good gesture, instead of allowing itself to be distracted with another battle front.
An ex-minister on himself
There was this avoidable fuss over the bad temper displayed by Femi Fani-Kayode at a supposed press conference, which he turned into some kind of favour not appreciated by the journalists present. A poor reporter asked a legitimate question: “Who is bankrolling your trips to the north and east?” Apparently, Fani-Kayode had expected to be praised but, disappointed at the reporter’s rashness, came charging. Worse still, the reporter felt intimidated. First, he kept standing (and fidgety?) like a houseboy being dressed down by his master.
Instead, the reporter should have risen to the occasion. The irony is that today’s journalists, even editors, always seem overwhelmed by interviewees. Imagine editor(s) asking heads of state or governors: “Observers know you are doing your best. In fact, it is not easy to govern Nigerians. Why not try to change your style?”
What type of interview is that and with such mindset that the man was doing his best, why bother to interview him or why not let the man explain that he was doing his best? Which country in the world is it easy to govern the populace? Except in Banana republics where society is completely subdued or regimented, governance in any country means daily combat with myriads of human problems. And Nigeria, in particular, is never docile whether under military or civilian administration.
In the matter on hand, the reporter disappointed by not telling who Femi Fani-Kayode is. The reporter must be a coward or he did not even know who Fani-Kayode is. In which case, why did the reporter attend a press conference by a guest unknown to him? Otherwise, Fani-Kayode bragged with a legitimate question: “Do you know who I am? An ex-minister, a lawyer, a politician.”
The reporter was left stranded. If the reporter knew Fani-Kayode, he should have released his full knowledge of Fani-Kayode, including major controverses in which he (Fani-Kayode) had been involved. He was a PDP member and was interrogated by the EFCC (after the exit of the Goodluck Jonathan administration) for alleged financial infraction. The case was yet to be concluded when Ibrahim Magu was removed as EFCC boss. Transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi made another serious allegation on Channels Television, which he dared to be quoted as a fact, yet to be denied. He was also tried for financial crime by a female judge who, in fairness, disharged and acquitted him. The judge herself had to be barred by National Judicial Council from ever trying any criminal matter in the future and was finally removed by NJC. She is now facing trial for corruption.