In as much as I would not want to condemn everything about the National Youth Service Corps Scheme, I would not also fail to admit that there abound so many inconsistencies in the scheme that would need urgent reform. It is obvious that the scheme adds no financial impact on the national purse, rather it helps to milk the Nations dry as huge amount of money is been dedicated to paying staff and taking care of the Corps Members alike. Little wonder, since the country witnessed economic downturn, the scheme became threatened. Truth is that there are some bottlenecks in the scheme which are counter productive. A lot has been said about making this scheme very lucrative. Many innovations has been put in place like the loan Scheme and SAED (Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development). Though I will commend these reforms for its good intentions, but I will not fail to pinpoint where the initiators of these very programs got it all wrong.

As an Ex Corps Member, I think I have the wherewithal to discuss this very topic not in a view of rubbishing the Scheme but in charting a new course for the scheme. Everything here remains my personal observation and experiences, together with most of my Colleagues account.

Talking about SAED:
This was initiated by the hierarchy of the scheme to better reposition Corp Members for challenges ahead and make them self reliant/dependent. It is highly commendable that government through NYSC has seen the need to reduce the constant embarrassment faced by graduates while searching for white collar jobs, but good intentions only can not yield positive results and lead to National development. Good intentions should be marched with good works. I do not know who told the initiators of this program that the only skills a person would get are "tailoring, beads, shoes, and bag making, interior decoration, baking". What happened to those who do not have interest in these areas?? What happened to specification based on profession? Like including welding, mechanics, etc. It would be appropriate if the scope is expanded to include those areas which would see to the improvement of our Nation's economic sector.

Aside SAED, I would also lend my voice on the issue of PPA. I know how well the scheme is trying to improve on our educational sector. I appreciate that a lot as I have seen somewhat impact this has brought on our Education sector. Yet there exist big lapses in this. Rather than compulsory all graduate of different fields to do their PPA's in schools, why not limit it to graduates of Education faculty. These people are trained Educationists with flare in the field. They would know how well to advance the sector. In doing so, the scheme would place square pegs in square holes. Take graduates of Management science to the Finance sector, just as the Medical Doctors are placed in Hospitals, and I bet you in the nearest future Nigeria will be envy of many nations. With the kind of energy Corps Members exact on their jobs for the service year, if square pegs are placed in square holes, I bet you we would not be complaining of lacking my power and technocrats.

Moreover, due to my position as an Ex-Corps Member, I can lend a suggestion on how best to make the scheme a money making machine and contributes its little quota to national income. The scheme could be lucrative enough that many agencies would have to properly pay to get the services of Corps members. Naturally Corpers are considered as providers of cheap labours. Their services are very affordable little wonder most PPA's abuse such privileges and tend to use the hell out of a Corper. If the Federal Government through NYSC would on her own raise the allowance of the Corps Members by 50%, then mandate any employers of Labour to formerly apply and register (with money) through them (NYSC) for the services of these Corps Members, we will see that the money made through the registration and renewal of licences by the scheme would add to national income no matter how little it is. With this, employers would not be expected to pay Corps Members under them, except for the too generous ones. This and many more things could be done to salvage the current inconsistency in the scheme.
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Conclusively, I would wish to state that NYSC in its real sense is not a waste of time if these abnormalities are not checkmated. When corrected, it would become more lucrative and not its current nature of "Khaki snapping and uploading". It is because from the packaging of the scheme it appears that there are no gains, Corpers decided to find solace in pictures as a consolation. If we can study perfectly Egypt and Israel system of National service, I think we would have outgrown this integration of a thing the scheme is out to address since 1973.

During my service year, I knew of many times I refused going for the useless CDS gathering as the only thing we discussed there was meeting agenda and shout our way home. For consecutive 7 Months I skipped CDS meeting except for the unwarranted SAED lectures which I only went for signing of attendance. Even in the SAED lectures, the conduct of such lectures are very poor. Imagine where a speaker would be addressing over 300 persons without the aid of a megaphone. Most times they say very irrelevant thing just like they did in camp. Many person stopped attending cds meetings and SAED whatever because of this.

To think that there is one loan through the Bank of Industry, which only a very few can access is annoying. Even if many persons could access it, on which project would they utilize the loan on? What business or idea do they want to use it on since the scheme limited their training to those skills which could be gotten anywhere even with the aid of YouTube video teaching.

This becomes my humble submission to the call for the rebranding of the National Youth Service Corp scheme.

#Dedicated to my COC (Collection of Certificate) billed on 6th of October 2016, as my humble contribution to the improvement of the scheme which I feel has many good prospects than bad.

Congratulations to everyone collecting their certificates tomorrow and those that would take theirs on the 4th of November 2016. Please do not ask me this question "after NYSC what next". Also do not expect me to start sending you my CV or bombered your phones with calls and text messages because of job. The only thing I expect from you is to wish me either well or bad. Whichever you wish to do, I surely know that qua Sara Sara. No one can stop the loin from roaring because that is his trademark. My only goal in life is to make myself happy because when I am happy, I can affect my neighbours sadness for good.

Mazionyekunzi Ikechukwu