Pressure mounts on Tinubu’s govt to scrap NYSC over insecurity

Pressure is mounting on the Bola Tinubu-led government to scrap the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme over growing security concerns.

The calls follow reports of kidnappings, killings and attacks involving corps members in different parts of the country.

Haruna Danjuma, national president of the Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (PTA), said the government should discontinue the programme if it cannot guarantee the safety of participants.

Danjuma said parents are increasingly worried about the risks young graduates face during the mandatory national service year.

His words: “On behalf of parents, we are not happy with what is happening. It is painful to lose a child.

“It is not easy to train a child from birth until they complete university and then at NYSC, the child gets kidnapped.

“We have said it repeatedly that the government has the responsibility of ensuring the security and welfare of all Nigerians.

“Since they engaged these young graduates in the scheme, they must ensure the safety of our children.

“The Federal Government should ensure that governors and the security architecture of each state sign an undertaking guaranteeing the safety of corps members before they are deployed there.

“If you cannot protect the lives of these children, then scrap the NYSC because the value of the scheme is already defeated if the children are not safe,” he said.

Isa Sanusi, executive director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said the concerns raised by parents are legitimate.

Sanusi also criticised the management of the NYSC for allegedly leaving families to deal with kidnappers.

His words: “The concerns of the parents are absolutely right. There is no way someone would train his child up to that level, send him to NYSC, only to end up paying ransom.

“The current security situation requires measures to ensure that nobody is posted to areas where there are security threats.

“NYSC should not shy away from its responsibilities and leave parents to struggle with payment of ransom.

“They mobilised these young people, so their security and wellbeing should remain the responsibility of NYSC until the end of the programme..

“For NYSC to leave parents to struggle with ransom payments while waiting to see if their children are killed is quite irresponsible.”

The calls follow the recent abduction of one Musa Abba, a corps member from Gusau in Zamfara state.

Abba, a graduate of plant science and biotechnology from the Federal University Gusau, was kidnapped on January 9 while travelling to Sokoto to begin his national service.

A video circulating online shows the corps member being beaten by bandits after his family reportedly failed to raise the N10 million ransom demanded by the abductors.